I am not fast. I don’t have great hand-eye coordination. I am not the smartest person in the room. But I do have terrific endurance. That is why I have been able to withstand difficult times in life. It is why I am a distance runner. It is with this gift of endurance that I walk the first steps of this journey with Karl Barth.
In our dualistic thinking, we may see abilities such as endurance as personal traits, separate from our spiritual lives. We categorize and disconnect our physical, emotional, professional, and spiritual selves. However, Barth says it is all God’s grace. Our ability to reason and understand, to speak of the things of God, does not originate with us, it comes from grace.
Since all is grace, all must be surrounded by prayer. I was surprised to read the following quote at the beginning of what by all appearances is an intellectual volume of work:
“Prayer can be the recognition that we accomplish nothing by our intentions, even
though they be intentions to pray. Prayer can be the human answer to the divine hearing already granted, the epitome of the true faith which we cannot assume of ourselves. We do not speak of true prayer if we say “must” instead of “can.” According to Rom. 8 the way from “can” to “must” is wrapped in the mystery at the gates of which we here stand. With this reference we do not give anyone a means by which he can count on succeeding in his work. It must be said, however, that it is hard to see how else there can be success in this work but on the basis of divine correspondence to this human attitude: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” [024]
How might we see grace and prayer as more than spiritual practices, but as gifts that encompass every area of our lives?
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