A Love for Us All
Paul Tillich, arguably the greatest religious scholar and writer of modern times,
certainly supports the view of Jesus. Shortly after he had completed
the writing of six six-inch-thick theological volumes of
closely-reasoned Systematic Theology, a journalist asked him if he
could boil down all that research and exposition into a simple
sentence that anybody could understand. Without any hesitation,
Tillich replied, "Jesus loves me; this I know, for the Bible tells
me so." Now Tillich, no more than Jesus, wasn't saying that the
issues and questions of religion aren't worth our serious thought
and reflection. What he's telling us is that we have to be very
careful not to get seduced by our own cleverness or impressed by
our own speculation. God's truth is basic and simple. It is available
to all of us. In short, as far as knowing the love of God and
holding it in our hearts, like my Mom said, "The folks
are just as good as the people."

--from the sermon "Not to the Special People,
But to the Ordinary Folks"
by The Rev. Dr. Robert R. Hansel

Read the sermon in its entirety.