NOT TO KNOW YET TO "KNOW"
I am benefiting exponentially from reading the historical-scholastic deposits and labors of Dr. Thomas C. Oden, specifically, those within his revealing masterpiece titled: HOW AFRICA SHAPED THE CHRISTIAN MIND: REDISCOVERING THE AFRICAN SEEDBED OF WESTERN CHRISTIANITY (2007).
That great Drew University stalwart's book is ever widening the apertures of my understanding., while filling my mind with much truth, either forgotten, suppressed, or devalued. His unraveling substantive enrichment is empowering, ever fueling my deepening appreciation of our faith, of our ancient African Christianity testimonies.
In point of fact, neither my parents, nor any of my grandparents,or my great grandparents, knew nor needed to know, of Dr. Thomas C. Oden, nor other scholars, religious or historical. Neither did they know or need to know any history or scholarship in order to know, intuitively, that God loved them; to know that the Lord Jesus lived, died, and resurrected from the grave for them; nor to love and to practice the Christian religion faithfully in daily life, and to pass it on to their heirs.
I marvel at their amazing spiritual intuition: Not to know and yet to "know!"
They embraced without seeing. I had to see before embracing . Jesus loves us both! Loves us all! The paradox of this familial paradigm is encoded in scripture:
"Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed is he who has not seen and has yet believed."
http://biblehub.com/john/20-29.htm
Thank Almighty God there is room at God's altar for late-blooming vines, like me.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
NOT TO KNOW YET TO "KNOW"
NOT TO KNOW YET TO "KNOW"
I am benefiting exponentially from reading the historical-scholastic deposits and labors of Dr. Thomas C. Oden, specifically, those within his revealing masterpiece titled: HOW AFRICA SHAPED THE CHRISTIAN MIND: REDISCOVERING THE AFRICAN SEEDBED OF WESTERN CHRISTIANITY (2007).
That great Drew University stalwart's book is ever widening the apertures of my understanding., while filling my mind with much truth, either forgotten, suppressed, or devalued. His unraveling substantive enrichment is empowering, ever fueling my deepening appreciation of our faith, of our ancient African Christianity testimonies.
In point of fact, neither my parents, nor any of my grandparents,or my great grandparents, knew nor needed to know, of Dr. Thomas C. Oden, nor other scholars, religious or historical. Neither did they know or need to know any history or scholarship in order to know, intuitively, that God loved them; to know that the Lord Jesus lived, died, and resurrected from the grave for them; nor to love and to practice the Christian religion faithfully in daily life, and to pass it on to their heirs.
I marvel at their amazing spiritual intuition: Not to know and yet to "know!"
They embraced without seeing. I had to see before embracing . Jesus loves us both! Loves us all! The paradox of this familial paradigm is encoded in scripture:
"Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed is he who has not seen and has yet believed."
http://biblehub.com/john/20-29.htm
Thank Almighty God there is room at God's altar for late-blooming vines, like me.