Karl Barth, that is. He is recognized as the most influential theologian of the 20th century. He wrote some things that I'm still trying to understand, and some I don't completely agree with, but one of the things he said was this:
"When we are at our wits' end for an answer, then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can he give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?"
Maybe being at the end of our rope isn't such a bad place after all...it certainly does simplify things. It forces us to focus. Sometimes it's not until all of the the other voices that clamor for our attention are silenced, that we actually hear the Holy Spirit speak.
Barth was a prolific writer. His 'Church Dogmatics' series takes up an entire bookshelf about 25 inches long all by itself - something like 13 volumes. Yet, it is said that when he was asked about the most profound theological thought he had every studied, he answered, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."
I like Karl.
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