Credo

 February7, 2022

Karl Barth, the great German theologian of the last century, wrote a book on the Apostle’s Creed which he entitled from the Latin, “Credo,” or “I Believe.” Every Sunday, we repeat the words of this creed, one of two foundational statements of faith of the Christian Church, the other being the Nicene Creed. Neither encompasses everything most Christians believe, but both hit upon the main themes of our faith.

The Nicene Creed being longer, doesn’t get as much press as the Apostles’ Creed; I couldn’t quote it to you if my life depended upon it. The Apostle's Creed however, rolls off my tongue without my even having to think about it. Yet think about it, I do. Often.

The Creed is divided into three sections, the shortest being about God the Father, the longest about Jesus Christ, and the final about the Holy Spirit. It is therefore, thoroughly Trinitarian, which may not mean much to the outsider, but is extremely important to the genuine follower of Jesus Christ.

Years ago when my grandmother lay dying in a hospital bed in Rochester, NY, I visited her as often as I could. She had been profoundly deaf for years, and having reached the 100 year milestone, her body was finally giving out. In her final weeks, she was often restless, constantly moving as she lay in bed. On this particular evening as I visited, I leaned in close to her ear and said as loudly as would have been appropriate in that setting, “Grandma, I’m going to take you back through the years to the foundations of your life.” She had been a devout Presbyterian, living as they did, literally in the backyard of the huge Bethany Presbyterian church in Greece, NY. 

I began reciting the Creed, and as I did so, her agitation ceased; she lay quietly, listening and mouthing the words silently. It was a most amazing experience! Her faith at that time in her life wasn’t an intellectual exercise, nor was it a list of behaviors or actions to be done. It was what she believed, and this belief quieted the storm in her soul.

Every Sunday as we recite these ancient words, I am struck by how they begin: “I believe…” It says nothing about what I think or how I feel; only what I believe. In these days when we are increasingly being told what to think and lacking an absolute moral code, people live by how they feel at any given moment, there is a solidity to these words, “I believe.” My reasoning power can be faulty, my feelings fleeting, but my faith is a firm foundation on which I can stand.