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The Holy Dead
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Meditation: In Praise of the Holy Dead
Monday, January 14, 2013 at 03:14PM “Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming ourselves.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi, born 1182.
"Educated Christians like myself expect God's grace to prefer people of greater natural ability, higher standards of behaviour, and superior education in the liberal arts. In fact God mocks my expectations." ~ Augustine of Hippo, born 354
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| C.S. Lewis - A Dead Guy |
When I became born again in 1970, at the age of 14, It never occurred to me I was born into a family nearly two thousand years old. I figured that (after Jesus) it all started with me. I was soon introduced to the works of C.S. Lewis--a dead guy! Lewis died in 1963, so at least we were briefly alive at the same time. This made him acceptably “modern.” Years later I discovered Lewis took most of his ideas from St. Augustine--who was even more dead.
I suspect many followers of Jesus, if they read at all, limit their exposure to names like Francis Chan, Rachel Held Evans, or Tim Keller (and they are just fine--it would be wrong of us to hold it against them that they are alive). Christian publishers understand that “new” sells, while “old” is simply, well, old.
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| Augustine: Even Deader |
So today’s mini-rant is in praise of our ancestors. They have left us a legacy that rests among the cobwebs of eminent domain websites, awaiting rediscovery. They are not worthy because they are old, they are worthy because their instruction and encouragement is timeless. Nor were they born as saints: Augustine was a young man consumed with pride and lust; Assisi was a hipster in his day (complete with a jaunty scarf), in danger of wasting his life on passing fancies. They--and a cloud of witnesses more--have so much to say to us.
Are you willing to make room for the dead?