“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'” (Matthew 2:2 ESV)

Professor Karl Barth, 1886-1968, one of the greatest theologians of the Twentieth Century, is biographized by Busch, as being a bit of a rebel in his youth, probably as a reaction to an overzealous mother’s religious instruction. The following example sheds a little light into his spirit of independence.

‘Feeling his way up the stairs of a dark church tower he unexpectedly caught hold of a bell-rope instead of the handrail, and to his horror heard the great bell ringing out above him, and audible not only to him but to others around.'” (a)

Presumably Karl was performing a prank to go up the tower in the middle of the night and lost his footing on the slippery stone steps. As often is the case I guess there were no lights in the tower, only a rope as a substitute for a handrail. Unfortunately, it transpires there was also a bell rope!

In later life Barth became a stickler for the truth in the face of a time of theological liberalism and social dissipation into elitist nationalism.

He used this illustration from his youth to portray the times in which he lived and his desire to contend for the truth over and above wanting to live a peaceable and safer life during a time of world wars and support for the German State by his more liberal deluded contemporaries.

I sense it is a calling for us all to be mindful, during these uncertain and shifting sands of relative truth, political showmanship and financial expediency to stand up for what we know is The Truth, The Eternal Truth, something in which we have set our hope for salvation and redemption.

Maybe we like the “Wise Men” have come from afar, reaching out for something to hold onto in search of something to steady our step? Instead we have grasped something greater!

We have found Jesus our sure hope and anchor. Now that we have been saved and forgiven and accepted maybe, just maybe, it is our turn to find our particular rope and ring the bell to wake up the sleeping, declaring the Good News of Jesus in the Year Ahead.

Just a thought!

Prayer: Lord, it is so tempting to seek a quiet life without contention, rather than to seek, declare and stand up for what is right in Your Kingdom where we are. Please grant in us clarity of vision to know how to speak up and out about what You are calling us to say, and act out Your will in today’s world, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Roderick Marshall

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(a) Eberhard Busch, Karl Barth: his life from letters and autobiographical texts, 20