Exploring Street Theology

Songs of Childhood “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

After the service in a parish church where Barth the great Swiss Theologian had been preaching one Sunday, he was met at the door by a man who greeted him with these words: "Professor Barth, thank you for your sermon. I'm an astronomer, you know, and as far as I am concerned, the whole of Christianity can be summed up by saying, 'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.'" Barth replied: "Well, I am just a humble theologian, and as far as I am concerned, the whole of astronomy can be summed up by saying, 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.'" 

It is said that Methodist learn and express their faith through singing and often later in life it is those hymns, sung  so often without understanding in childhood, that are reborn in our hearts and minds after the passing of the years. Proverbs 1:8-9 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

One verse for me has the daunting question,

If one should ask of me, how can I tell

Glory to Jesus I know very well

God’s Holy Spirit with mine doth agree

Constantly witnessing Jesus loves me.

This version is based upon 1 John 5:10, NIV: "Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son." and this results in God putting a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:3)

There was once a man who had doubts about whether he was a Christian. He got down on his knees and said, “Now, Father, I want to settle this question. Show me whether I have eternal life or not.” And opening his Bible, his eyes fell on this verse from 1 John 5. He said in his prayer, “Father, I don't want to make You a liar, and it says here that if I don't believe the testimony that You give about the Son, I'm making you a liar. I don't want to do that. What is the testimony?” And he read the next part, “And this is the testimony,” and he stopped right there. He was so overwrought that he put his thumb over the rest of the verse and said, “Lord, it says here that if I don't believe the testimony that you gave concerning your Son, I'm making you a liar, and I don't want to make you a liar. I believe that I have what that testimony is right under my thumb here, and I'm going to take my thumb off and read it, and Lord, help me to believe it, because I don't want to make you a liar.” With great trepidation he raised his thumb and read, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in the Son” (1 John 5:11). All of a sudden it came home to him. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). No matter what else he may have, no matter how religious he may be, if he has not received the Son, he does not have life. He entered into peace and became a preacher of this great truth.

Dear Father, when I think of the stars and the moon and your handiwork in the heavens, I am reminded of your glory. And I am moved by the fact that you are mindful of me. Teach me to express this in self-forgetfulness, unrestrained praise, trust and thanks. In Jesus’ wonderful name we pray.