Karl Barth

If we are not in God's grace, may he put us there. If we are in God's grace, may he keep us there. Amen.

Karl Barth was born in May of 1886 and he died in December of 1968. He was born to Johann Fritz Barth, who was theology professor and a pastor. Unfortunately, I was not able to learn anything about his mother, other than the fact that her name was; Anna Katharina Sartorius and I do not know how she may have nurtured him or influenced him. It is clear, however, that Karl Barth followed in his father's footsteps, since he too, grew up to become a theology professor and a leader in the Confessing Church.

Karl must have made his parents proud; since he was so wildly successful that he is widely considered to be the greatest and most influential theologian of the 20th century. And, Pope Pius the 12th went even further and declared Karl Barth is the greatest theologian since Thomas Aquinas wrote a thousand years ago!

There is so much I could tell you about Karl Barth's life, his influences, his career. But the truth is, I was reading about Karl Barth and his work, two or three of his ideas really reached out and grabbed me by the collar and dragged me down the street. In fact, I am still wrestling with them and I imagine I will be thinking about these ideas for a long time. And these ideas are; Who is Christ? What is Christ? What is the work of Christ? And what does humankind have to do with it?

In the 500 years before Karl Barth began to think and teach, it is my understanding that Calvinist ideas predominated in Protestant thought. That is to say, most Christians saw that humankind was inherently sinful, predestined to rebel against God, behave in evil ways and hate God. Most Christians believed that only a select few would be saved and that the majority of the sinful human race would be condemned to hell. Karl Barth strongly disagreed! He couldn't believe this, not for a minute. For one thing, in Karl's mind, this kind of thing was rooted in error because it kept our eyes focused on the guilt and evil of humankind, Karl said that would be missing the point! Of course human kind is evil! Actually, he is quoted as saying;

"Men have never been good, they are not good and they will never be good."

So what else is new? That is simply not the point. The point, Karl said, is to keep your eyes on Christ. That's where the action is! In Jesus Christ, the reconciliation of all humankind had already taken place. The work is already done, for everyone... Now, I am not an expert on Karl Barth. In fact, I come to you fairly ignorant about him. So, at first glance, this seems like Christian Universalism to me. The idea that everyone is saved by God's infinite power and love, and no one is going to hell. I'm told that Karl did not quite go that far. That Karl insisted that eternal salvation was a work done by Christ for everyone (even the most sinful and rejecting of people), and so their salvation is a POSSIBILITY - it all depends on the Mystery of God and ultimately, it is not our job to judge, but to pray for them.

So, after 500 years of what seems to me to be a gloomy and pessimistic theology, Karl Barth opened the curtains and the windows and brought in the sunshine, brought in the fresh air of a Christ-centered optimism and hope. I love that about him!

Karl Barth was a unique figure in his day, for another reason, he stood against the skeptics of his day when he insisted that the teaching of Christ's conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth by the Virgin Mary be accepted at face value on Faith as something that happened in history. Karl Barth was surrounded by people who wanted to either, on the one hand, compare the Virgin birth of Christ to other similar mythologies, or on the other hand, wanted to explain it away with science. For Karl, both of those paths missed the point and were tragic errors. In Karl's mind, if you lose the Virgin Birth then you lose everything - EVERYTHING that came in the Gospel afterward. Because it simply isn't possible to talk about the person of the Christ without also talking about the work of the Christ. They are one and cannot be separated. And here is why...

Karl Barth said, "Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. Jesus, He, Himself IS the way."

What does that mean? ... It means a lot of things. First of all, in Karl's mind, Jesus is unique. His conception by the Holy Spirit and his Virgin birth cannot be compared to any mythology, because, first of all, Jesus is Eternal. He existed before his incarnation in human flesh. No other deity claims that. So, Jesus as the Eternal Word of God, has this great desire to have both reconciliation and communion, the deepest intimacy with humankind. (Jesus  even compared it to Marriage.) In order to accomplish this, Jesus the Eternal Word of God comes to the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit and takes on flesh.

As I have said before, for Karl, this is a matter of definite history - this happened, it is a moment in time. And it is a striking moment, for quite a number of reasons. First of all it is a moment of grace. God comes to Mary, God comes to humankind - to US, with the intention to heal and to save, with the power to heal and to save. It is all grace. Mary didn't do anything to deserve it, humankind didn't do anything to deserve it. We couldn't have done anything to deserve it. Grace, healing, love, salvation, it is all an act of God that is given, it cannot be earned. Humankind never ascends to God, God comes to us and he comes to us with healing in his wings.

Second of all, this moment when Jesus the Eternal Word of God comes to the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit and takes on human flesh, this moment is striking because... in the conception and birth of Jesus Christ, God and Man become ONE... Before this, God had no form, God had no face! Before this, God was separate. At this moment in history, God takes on human form, he takes on a face! And he becomes One with us. And not just for a human lifetime, but for all of eternity. The God is changed for all eternity. That, my friends, is an amazing thought.

If I am not mistaken, this moment of Oneness is when reconciliation happens - or at least, this is when it BEGINS, in the mind of Karl Barth. This moment is every bit as grace-filled, every bit as salvific and united with that moment of Christ's last breath on the Cross. They are both parts of a whole. One cannot exist without the other.

Another thing Karl Barth said about the Mystical Incarnation of God become flesh in Jesus Christ. He said; Jesus Christ is the Word of God, he is the Revelation of God. In Christ we learn what God is... But he also said,

"man does not first figure out what is humanity and then discover Jesus Christ to be that thing, rather he discovers in Jesus Christ what is real humanity".

Karl says, we don't even begin to know what it means to be human, we don't even begin to know what it means to be humane, until we know Christ, who is the first real human, the first whole human - the One who has come to make us whole.

This Christmas, I encourage you and even challenge you, my fellow rational and intellectual friends, to consider Karl's astonishing Christology. To consider the uniqueness, the power, the majesty and healing that it contains. Set aside, logic, the need to know the answers, the need for control and just be open (like Mary), accept what it has to offer - even if only for a little while. I guarantee it will transform you. I've lived with it for only 24 hours and I am already astonished and changed.

Feast of St. Luke

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke, the writer of the Gospel and the book of Acts. Luke was a first century, Gentile Christian. Some sources say that Luke was one of the 70 missionaries that Jesus sent out, some say that he was one of the disciples that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection, while on the Road to Emmaus. Others have said that Luke had a special friendship with our Lady, Mary. We can’t know any of this for sure. 


What we do know for sure is that Luke was a physician and faithful companion to St. Paul. He accompanied Paul on  missionary journies and Luke remained in Rome, serving Paul while he was in prison, until the day that Paul was beheaded by Roman authorities… And if you’re familiar with the scriptures, with the stories of St. Paul, it’s not hard to see why Paul needed his best friend to be a physician! Paul was forever in need of an emergency room, whether because he was starving in some remote wilderness, suffering from the cold, being bitten by snakes – or, because he was always offending somebody and being beaten up or being stoned and left for dead! There’s no doubt that St. Paul kept his beloved Doctor quite busy. 


I wouldn’t doubt that Luke waited until after Paul’s death to write the Gospel and the Book of Acts. Fortunately for us, he lived to be 84 years before he died in old age and he had plenty of time to write. And he did. The commentary  I’d turned to for guidance says that Luke actually contributed more material to the New Testament than any other writer, including Paul. I’m a little skeptical. But it’s not so much how much St. Luke wrote that counts, but what he wrote… 


Luke is my favorite author in the Bible. Countless books have been written about his intellect, his charm, his good humor, his emphasis on compassion and social justice… I could go on and on about the joyous wonder that is St. Luke! For one thing, if he had not written the Book of Acts, we have would have precious little idea regarding the day-to-day lives of the first century church – no other new testament author has given us so many detailed and delightful stories (as opposed to letters)… Anyway, as I was saying, I could go on and on about the joyous wonder that is St. Luke, but I’d rather buckle down and focus on one of Luke’s more unique contributions, his particular portrait of what the Good News is.

Anyone who has studied the gospels knows; each one of the gospel writers gives us a slightly different portrait of Jesus and a different picture of what the “Good News” is. St. Matthew, for example, presents Jesus as Messiah, Suffering Son of Man and the one who will render justice for everyone at the End of time. St. John portrays Jesus in a very mystical way, he is the Logos, the creative Word of God and the Passover Lamb. Luke portrays Jesus as the compassionate Liberator, he has Jesus in the temple reading; 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free…” This is not the only reference that Luke makes to the poor, the lame, the blind, the outcast. His entire gospel is a parade of the poor being provided for, the blind and lame being healed, the outcast being embraced by Jesus. Throughout the entire gospel, Luke creates a “Table Theology”, where God’s Kingdom is portrayed as a banquet and ALL are invited! – without exception. It’s a joyous riot! It would be easy to mistake this for the whole of Luke’s “Good News”. But if we do, we miss something so profound, something that is so powerful that it raises the hair on my arms and my neck.

To illustrate for you what I mean, let’s compare Jesus’s birth story in Matthew with Luke’s story about Mary and the angel Gabriel: Matthew 1:18 ”This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.” That’s it. One verse. That’s all. In the very next verse, we read; “And meanwhile back on the ranch, Joseph was contemplating divorce.”… Matthew completely drops Mary, completely drops the Holy Spirit and focuses on Joseph.

Compare that one single verse to the long, lyrical and poignant story that Luke gives us in our Gospel! Luke is highlighting this event, he’s trying to tell us something.

I’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover more than 7 times, I’ve studied it for years at college. And for me, Luke’s story of Gabriel’s Annunciation to Mary and Mary’s “Yes!” is the most profound, most powerful passage – it is the hub that the entire wheel of the Bible and the Church revolves around, without it we have NOTHING. This here, is the Good News – that God chose Mary to be a co-worker and intimate partner in Creation and Salvation. And may I add, if God felt that he needed Mary, still needs Mary – who are we to think that we do not?

I mean, really, think about it. God is reportedly All Powerful, All Knowing, All loving, etc… He could have had Jesus appear, full bodied and fully grown in the middle of the Temple, ready to take charge – Instant Salvation… Why not? The Greek and Roman gods and goddesses reportedly did. For that matter, so what? So Adam and Eve screwed up, we as the human race have screwed up, so what? As the Scripture says; “love covers a multitude of sins”, why couldn’t God just say; “I love you, forgive you.” And let that be the whole of Salvation? Why this long, bloody, passion play that we call human history? Why the long, wandering missionary journies of Jesus? Why that horrific Crucifixion? We can guess some of the reasons, others will remain mysteries ‘till the end of the time.

Whatever the reasons, God decided he needed Mary. And he decided that he needed her for more than just an incubator for his only Begotten Son… He needed her to feed Jesus, to clothe him, to hold and cuddle him, to teach him how to walk, to teach him good manners, to discipline him, to play with him, to teach him, to kiss his boo-boos. God needed her to devote her LIFE, first to Jesus and then as Luke testifies in the book of Acts, to devote her life to the mothering and care of the first century Church… This is exciting stuff! God needs Mary, he wants Mary, he works and plays in intimate partnership with Mary. As Paul would say, God is closer to Mary than her very breath.

What makes Mary so special? Why her? My answer to you, and Luke’s answer to you is; Mary is special only in the fact that she was First. Everything you see, hear or read about Mary, is true for you as a believer, too. This what Luke was saying in the story of the Pentecost. The Holy Spirit over-shadowed Mary and she gave birth to the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit over-shadowed the Believers and they, too, joyously gave birth to the Body of Christ. God decided he needed you, and you, and you… And just in case you didn’t get it the first two times, Luke thought this message was so very important that he tells the story yet a third time! Acts 10:44-46 Peter was in the home of Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army… ”While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his message. The Jewish believers who had come from Joppa with Peter were amazed that God had poured out his gift of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speaking in strange tongues and praising God’s greatness.   Just for giggles, let’s compare these 3 “Pentecost” stories by Luke with the Pentecost story found in the Gospel of John.

John 20:19-22 ”It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. After sayign this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”Pentecost gets two whole verses in the Gospel of John and no mention in Mark or Matthew. Again, Luke is highlighting these 3 events, he’s trying emphasize something incredible and profound. Luke is trying to tell you something.

Luke is saying that salvation is collective, it must happen in community. He’s saying that God needs you, and you, and you… God needs you to feed the hungry, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, give your neighbor a hug and a smile, he needs you pray and to love – to work with him in bringing Tikkun Olam; that is healing, justice and love to the world.

And guess what? The Church agrees with Luke. As I’d mentioned on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, the Consecration of Eucharist and the Forgiveness of sins in Confession are services reserved for the Priest. But it is equally true, that without you – there are no sacraments. You are co-creators with God, you are birthing Christ… You know this because you are called to participate in Mass, as opposed to just sitting passively and watching the priest do all the work for you. When I was a child, we used to kneel in adoration during the consecration of the Eucharist, God and the priest performed this sacramental act alone and we, the Faithful were passive recipients. The Church decided, however, that this was not a truly representative portrait of how our salvation is worked. So, now we are asked to stand, with the priest (who stands as representative of God), we are asked to pray out loud with the priest (who stands as representative of God) and work together with God to manifest the Christ – in just the same way that God and Mary worked together. This is the Good News, the incredible news, the profound news. God wants to be closer to you than your very next breath, he wants to work and to play in an intimate way with you to heal the world, to transform the world, to  bring something Divine and wonderful into being.