The End of Theology
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 ESV
Philosophy – Paul warns us about the enticement of philosophy, but we seem to have completely ignored his alarm. I don’t mean that we have been enticed by the world’s philosophical systems. I mean that we have been seduced by theology which turns out to be nothing short of a reversal of the God of the Bible. I mean that Christian believers have followed their champions of the faith into religious beliefs; beliefs that are no more than the kind of philosophical systems Paul cautions us to avoid. Before you jump up to refute such a claim, let’s examine the meaning of the Greek word philosophias. Kittle defines this Greek term as “systematic efforts to understand the world, especially by sensory perception. The aim is to reduce phenomena to principles and hence to achieve knowledge of eternal and unmoved being. philosophía is both knowledge as a whole and the individual discipline.” [1]
In other words, philosophía attempts to reduce the world we experience (including the reports of such experience in history) to a set of eternal principles or statements that are called the Truth. This is precisely the project of the systematic theologian. Theology is the philosophy of God. And it exactly fits Paul’s concern. The Bible is not a philosophy, nor is it a theology. It is a story, a history of God with His people. As history, it is not reducible to some set of statements or beliefs. But theology is not concerned with the unique historical events of Scripture. It seeks deeper meanings in systematized knowledge. You might ask yourself why we engage in the project of theological knowledge. Perhaps it is for reasons that are not so biblical after all.
Listen to the words of Jacques Ellul: “. . . once the transition was made from history to philosophy, all that they [theologians] said was completely correct and true. They expressed a profound and authentic faith marked by a concern for truth. Yet it was all completely falsified by the initial transition. This is why the deviations were stronger than the truth that they retained. Very soon they forgot the essential point, that God does not reveal by means of a philosophical system or moral code or metaphysical constructions. He enters human history and accompanies his people. The Hebrew Bible (even the wisdom books) is not a philosophical construction or a system of knowledge. It is a series of stories that are not myths intended to veil or unveil objective abstract truths. These stories are one history, the history of the people of God, the history of God’s agreements and disagreements with this people, the history of loyalty and disobedience. There is nothing else but history, temporal (not eternal) history, lay (not sacred) history, a history that tells us that God is with and for us, but that does not speak about God in himself, or provide any theory about God. Like all human history, the Bible is a book that is full of questions but never gives any answers.”[2]
Isn’t this exactly what Paul would say as a Jewish rabbi? Heschel tells us that to believe is to remember. His remark reminds us that revelation is history, not theology. His statement implies that we are to enter into a culture marked by a common history, a common storehouse of cultural memories that supply us with identity, meaning and practice. Once we divorce ourselves from the historical continuity of the culture of God’s people, we are no longer in the stream of God’s actions. We are no longer biblical believers. We are theologians or philosophers, pursuing abstractions about God . We are not adherents to the revelation of God. When Christianity became a philosophy – a religion – it no longer was part of the history of God’s people. It became something new on the earth – a system of thought divorced from the historical reality that spawned it. Today Christians no longer practice the culture of the God of the Bible. They practice a new religion, a religion that was invented by the systems of Greek philosophy and their influence on the early Church fathers.
Today Christians have a powerful philosophy, but they no longer have a biblical cultural identity. The evidence is undeniable. Just ask yourself if Christians follow the biblical calendar or keep the biblical commandments or practice the instructions of Torah. Why do Christians separate themselves from this historical reality? Because they now follow a system of thought that is alien to the Scriptures. The Scriptures become merely the jumping off point for religious theory.
Who is the enemy here? Isn’t it us? Aren’t we the ones who, having been seduced by the power of analysis and the temptation of understanding, left the tribe and walked our own way? Doesn’t that suggest that theology is about control, about usurping power that rightfully belongs only to God by asserting that the Church now holds the words of life? Is it any wonder that there is no Jewish systematic theology?
Topical Index: philosophy, philosophía, history, revelation, Jacques Ellul, Colossians 2:8
Our Bible, the word of God, is a history of God with His people. It is His-story and His book. It is the self-revelation of YHWH, and if “any man” wishes to know God, God Himself invites that man (or woman) to do so. Yeshua’s invitation “come unto Me” applies to any man, anywhere and at any time. Friends, “whosoever will” may come. And do I know this? -How does “any man” know this? (drum roll please…) “It is written.” Read the Book-“it’s in there.”
“Hath God said?” do you remember these words and where they might be found? Yes, they are only words, but words uttered by the seducing serpent and spoken directly to our “not so great”-grandparents. Hasatan introduced unto Adam and his progency the destructive seed of doubt. “Hath God said?”
1,2,3,4… and what comes next? Have I introduced sufficient evidence, can anyone see a pattern here? The way we know the future is by looking at the past. 1,2,3,4… and ??? (lo and behold… 5) Wow, I’m so proud of you… what a mind you have- now use it.
And the word of the LORD came unto…
And the word of the LORD came unto…
And the word of the LORD came unto…
And the word of the LORD came unto… (me AND you)
For you see my thinking friend, God has a history of speaking with His people. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40.8) Is this true? I challenge you, my thinking friend,- I challenge you with this- “Is this true?” ~ And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times ~ (Psalm-song 12.6) Uh… whose words? -the words of the LORD. My words? no,- His. The words of the LORD. And furthermore, my thinking friend..
Someone said, (remember Who?) “The words I speak unto you- they are spirit (breath) and they are life.” Life-giving, life-imparting, life-renewing, refreshing, rejuvenating, mind altering, life-transforming words, proceeding out of the mouth of the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ, and as (again, “it is written”- I love these three words, -I think I’ll get a tat!) ~Man (any man, any child of Adam) shall not live by bread alone, but by “every word” that proceeds out of the mouth of God! Good news- good news! Good news for “any man!” God has spoken. ← (please notice the period!!) Dear thinking friend.. “it is so!” and we now know this (yes, experientially) as a very Christian “amen!” Sorry sir.., -“no doubt”- I’m living by the Book. The Book God wrote. It is, after all… His-story.
But you know.. I do have trouble sometimes “remembering..” I am such a forgetful, distracted sheep. I need Someone to help me remember all of God’s instructions for rightly-related living. If only I had a Helper, Someone to remind me of all He has said…Now “Who” might that be?….
Oh no! “it is written”- There goes that ol’ Bible-thumper once again.. Why does he care so much about what the scriptures say?- could it be he was paying attention to what the Savior said to the puffed up Pharisees?- “you do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”- and I as I recall with my feeble mind, God did create this wonderful world by speaking, “let is be so”- and it came into being! The Word of God, “breakfast of champions!” Yes, (amen) “it is written”- again, and again and again..Behold, (take a good look! Hear, O Israel, -the word of the LORD: it is written…)
~ But the Comforter, Who is the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you ~ John 14.26)
Thank you Father, for reminding me of Your words, and for renewing my mind, causing me to remember the life-imparting words You have spoken unto “whosoever will.” I will live according to Your instructions, that are clearly revealed in the Book You wrote. Amen.
CARL, I KNEW I WOULD OPEN THIS & SEE YOU FIRST & WAS DELIGHTED TO DO SO – HERE IS A GOOD SERMON FOR THIS ARTICLE:
Christophany
http://ellerslie.com/Eric_Ludy_Sermons/Entries/2012/5/20_Christophany.html
This is a power-packed enunciation of a real, living, breathing Christianity. It’s a literal symphony of Truth that awakens you to the extraordinary supernatural dimensions of Scripture and to the thrilling notion that all Scripture aims towards One thing . . . Jesus. If Ellerslie’s purpose statement, mission statement, and statement of belief were to all coalesce into a single thunderous sermon, this just might be the sermon.
“The Word of God, “breakfast of champions!”
Yay, Carl !
I agree your point about systematic theology having an origin from Greek thinking and that the Bible is history.
Additionaly, I understand the traditions Paul is referring to are not Greek, but the same traditions that Yeshua had issue with. When he was approached by the Jerusalem inquisitors, made up of Pharisees and Scribes, Yeshua said to them “you make the word of God void by your traditions”. Matt 15 & Mark 7.
These were ongoing internal Jewish arguments. Paul was disputing with competing influences from the major pharisaical schools of Shamai (Jerusalem) and Hillel (Galilee), the Essenes as well as other esoteric Jewish traditions, practices and teachers. Paul as well as Yeshua practiced many oral traditions embraced by the competing Jewish schools of thoughts as long as they aligned with the written Torah, were not hindrance to building biblical faith in Jews and Gentiles, and were not AntiChrist (against the person or teaching of Messiah).
For instance Rabbi Akiva was Antichrist. Though you and I can gather much Torah wisdom from some of his recorded teachings, he led his countrymen to the slaughter when he declared BarKochba, Messiah during the roman revolt of 135. At that time the Messianic believers that were engaged in the revolt withdrew from the struggle and to their safety, because there is only one King Messiah, Yeshua.
The Greek notion of abstractionism is at the heart of the question over systematic theology. Neoplatonic influence in Christianity has attempted to divorce itself from the created order, from history, with the idea that the better it extracts itself from the physical world the more “spiritual” it will become.
But it has been a view of Christians and Jews for a long time that God is a person, completely self-exhaustive in all things. This means he is the ultimate system of thought, a complete systematic theology within himself. For this reason, man in God’s image cannot escape “systematic theology” because the alternative is unsystematic theology, irrationalism, or abstractionism. Abstractionism attempts to destroy relationships by taking something “out of” its relationships. It is the reality of relationships that allows abstractionism to occur. You cannot abstract something if it already has no relationships. It is the God-created relationships in the universe that provides meaning to all things in his creation. Man in his revolt against God, abstracts things from God’s relationships in order to attempt to impose a new relationship, a new system of arrangements — a new systematic theology, if you like.
All human thought is inescapably “systematic” or it is inescapably “unsystematic” (abstraction). But man in God’s image cannot be a complete abstraction, for to be that he would have to cease being human. God’s creation is a testimony at all times, as St. Paul reminds us, of the inherent “rationality” of the universe.
Judaism, like all belief systems, has a “systematic theology”; it just doesn’t call it by that name. But it has its formal arrangement of ideas and concepts from which it attempts to make rational and coherent statements. And that is the nature and task of systematic theology, to make sure our relationships are in order.
The important question then becomes: “Is our systematic theology in fact biblical, or are we superimposing false ideas of Greek or other origin into our systematics?” And this is what St Paul is referring to in the text above. He is not warning against philosophy per se. He is warning against philosophy that is according to human tradition . . . and not according to Christ.
We should not allow ourselves to be “taken captive” by a “philosophy that is not according to Christ”. But that also means it is quite OK to be taken captive by a philosophy that is according to Christ. And what would that philosophy look like? Our systematic theology will supply the answers.
Ian you said “He is not warning against philosophy per se. He is warning against philosophy that is according to human tradition . . . and not according to Christ.”
I agree. The “philosophy that is according to human tradition . . . and not according to Christ.”, were not Greek but Jewish traditions.
I couldn’t let this one go. Only by ignoring the practice of Paul can one claim that he speaks out against Jewish traditions. Paul himself says that he has upheld the Torah and the traditions. As a Pharisee this would be expected. In his defense, he never claims a “new” version of the Jewish Torah or oral torah. The Greek term translated “philosophy” had a very specific meaning in the first century, and it did not mean “Jewish traditions.” Let’s start by reading the text in its own context. Paul argues that the lover of wisdom must be in alignment with the demonstration of love in action shown by Yeshua, but this is not the same as saying that the traditions of the Jews are the problem. Philosophy according to human tradition, written to a Gentile and Jewish audience in the first century, meant GREEK philosophical claims – and there were plenty of them circulating in the Gentile world.
Bless your thought Ian, couldn’t have put it better myself!
Seems like I am required to reply. At least to comment. While I agree that we as human beings entertain some sort of worldview, whether or not it happens to be coherent, consistent and comprehensive or not, I would not call such world views “philosophies.” Nor would I claim that this is what Paul had in mind when he used the term in Greek. Contextually, the Greek term had a very specific meaning in the first century. It should not be confused with what we today call “philosophy.” Those who first heard Paul’s words would have concluded that he was talking about very specific and highly touted Greek positions concerning the world, its structure and its end. We know these positions today by their historical names, e.g. epicureanism, hedonism, Platonism, etc. These “systems of thought” were highly regarded in Greek-pagan circles in the first century. This is the background of Paul’s remark. It is against this background that Paul could claim these philosophical systems were out of alignment with Christ, who, by the way, is the perfect exhibition of Torah. Ipso facto, these systems were out of alignment with Torah and were therefore not acceptable to any seriously minded worshipper of YHWH, Jew or Gentile.
As we know, the Greek ideas of reduction of experience to eternal principles motivated most Greek thinking. Greek thought was not a case-by-case exposition of ethical teaching but rather an attempt to understand the “essentials” of the world and then apply those. You will notice that while the Torah SEEMS to move along the same lines, it in fact provides case after case of actual practice rather than simply providing the “essentials.” Giving the Ten Commandments was not sufficient for the Jews, but it certainly would have been for the Greeks and seems to be for most Christian theologians. Of course, I over-generalize to make the point. Systematic theology follows the same Greek pattern. It is an attempt to EXTRACT from experience the principles and attributes that eventually becoming guidelines for faith and practice. But this isn’t the path of the Hebraic culture. The Hebraic culture contains a running commentary on the accepted text, a commentary that contains countless contradictory interpretations, paradoxes, case examples, historical records, etc. It just isn’t very systematic. It wanders everywhere. But it is full of life experiences, thoughts and struggles to understand. That’s what I mean when I say Judaism has no systematic theology. It doesn’t attempt to reduce everything we know about God to a nice tight creed or a set of doctrines. It WANDERS as it struggles to understand in each new circumstance – and the reinterpret the past in light of the present. It is above all PERSONAL.
On this Ian and I am in complete agreement. When Christianity moved along the lines of Greek philosophy (and there is NO denying that this occurred), it moved away from a personal God intimately involved in the fabric of everyday being toward a first-principle God, an IDEA, eternal, immutable, infinite. Yes, theologians did their best to try to hang on to both of these essentials, but if you look at the development of RCC theology from Augustine to Aquinas, you cannot help but notice that the personal God is slowly but inevitably replaced by the transcendent IDEA of some kind of God.
I believe that Ian wants to argue that every man, as long as he acts in some kind of logical way, will necessarily incorporate some kind of world view into his way of operating in the world. I agree. Worldview is inescapable. But that is not what I mean by systematic theology and therefore the lack of systematic theology does not entail Unsystematic theology. What I mean is that systematic theology is the deliberate attempt to provide a schema – a design – a reduction to principle – of the much greater reality of experience. This is inherent in the project of systematic theology. But that is not the way life is lived. Life is a concatenation of experiences of all sorts. It doesn’t come ORGANIZED. It isn’t SYSTEMATIC. And, in my view, the Bible reflects this lived-experience kind of world. Therefore, while the authors of the Bible do address themes that appear common to the lived-experience of being in communication with God, they do NOT attempt to reduce that experience to some set of principled creeds. While they speak to individual questions and issues, they do not try to provide a comprehensive morality other than the one revealed by God at Sinai (and its elaboration in the prophets and Yeshua). The approach is radically different – and so is the result.
Ellul recognizes this difference. He recognizes that the CHURCH does not operate like a living community. It operates like a regulating institution. It attempts to LEGISLATE morality, even on those who do not confess faithfulness to God. For example, the current debate over same-sex marriage is part of the attempt of the religious institution, now firmly ensconced in the government, to legislate moral behavior for those who deny submission to YHWH. How effective (and how stupid) is that? Ellul rightly notes that true Christian morality is a matter of heart transformation, not Congressional legislation.
Finally, of course it is appropriate to be taken captive by a “philosophy” that is according to Christ, but what does that mean? Yeshua never wrote a single line. He never left behind any creed. He didn’t propose any statement of faith. What did he do? He lived Torah. Is that His philosophy? It was certainly his worldview. If we adopt his worldview, aren’t we entering into the same life-experience that has guided the people of God since the beginning? Does it need to be reduced to principles in order to be lived?
When Yeshua said “I am the way,the truth and the life,” was that not a creed, an “I believe”, a statement of faith?
Maybe we get some idea of Paul’s idea of philosophy by looking at how he conducted the conversation on Mars Hill (Acts 17). He starts with a lesson in metaphysics to destroy their Greek monism, a demographics lesson on the nations and the formation of their boundaries, some rather unique Jewish mysticism about “in him we live and move and exist”, that this God cannot be represented by created matter, and that since they already acknowledged they were children of this unknown God, he had a parenting lesson for them. Now he turns to their ignorance and says that they are now without excuse and God is not longer willing to tolerate their alleged ignorance (echos of Rom. 1). The history lesson of Gen. 1 is used to make a declaration about future judgement based on another piece of history, resurrection of HaMashiach. I think we can safely assume that the forthcoming judgement had something to do with violation of Torah.
Now systematic theology doesn’t get much better than that! Sha’ul’s biblical worldview put up against the Greeks worldview of the “unknown god.” An uneven match, if ever there was one. 🙂
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Eph. 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Eph. 2 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.
Colossians 2:14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Know Jesus, know peace.
No Jesus, no peace.
We didn’t get a little bit of Jesus and now we must add some faulty wisdom of man or tradition to be complete. We have it all now. And for that I am tremendously happy. I am not ashamed of being a Christian, I will never deny being a Christian. I will not sit quiety in a shadowy corner, afraid to lift my hand and say I follow Him.
My love to all of you who are in Christ Jesus.
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
~ and beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself ~ (Luke 24.27)
Jesus (who is the) Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach (to the Jew) is (I was actually going to say “hero”) but no, -He is “so much more” than that! He is (at minimum) the Author, Completer and Perfecter of our (common) faith.
You just cannot leave Him out of any discussion concerning the Father, or Heaven, or Hell or Earth or finances, or marital harmony, or rules for righteous living, or anything at all to do with Jerusalem, Israel, coming events or past history. Christ our near Kinsman-Redeemer is the central figure of our Bible and the Lamb’s Book of Life!
God, yes, the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,- this God became a man and was born in a barn in Bethlehem. -And don’t be thinking this is easy for me to believe either, because it is not! I too, have questions- tons of them, but friends, – this really did happen. The Word became flesh and lived among us. God became one of us, a man. – Is this what causes Jewish people to cringe? The condescension and utter humility of God in becoming one of us. The Creator became the creature? Oh, but hang on to your hat for there is more! – So much more!..
You remember this story, it’s also part of His-story now..! ~ Peter exclaimed, “LORD, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials–one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah ~ (Matthew 17.4) Peter was quite taken by this “event!” Three luminaries .. Jesus, Moses and Elijah! “Heavy hitters”- all! – with one exception.. It is never Jesus and.. – it is always Jesus “only!”- for this was not only the son of man, He also was (and is!)- the Son of God, the second Adam, perfect and complete, without fault or blemish or stain- the only Perfect Man ever to have lived. ← (I like to point out my periods!) Yeshua is perfect.← Can’t say the same for Moses, or Elija, or David, or his son Solomon, or Peter, or Paul, or Mary or Carl or even his beautiful and beloved (almost perfect) bride. -None but Christ alone, David’s King and David’s LORD.
Our Bible, the Divine Romance, is a beautiful story of redemption and restoration, and yes!- Hallelujah!- God, the Author, has also included a “happy ending for His people!” I just love happy endings, – don’t you?
Yes, and I just love your periods!
I will never again read one of your posts with food in my mouth.
I nearly disolved in laughter and you know the rest . . .
CARL, JUST WONDERING WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU LIKE TO POINT OUT YOUR PERIODS LIKE THIS [ ← (I like to point out my periods!)] ??? CAUSE YOU LIKE HAPPY ENDINGS. ← 😉
CARL, JUST WONDERING WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU LIKE TO POINT OUT YOUR PERIODS LIKE THIS [ ← (I like to point out my periods!)] ??? CAUSE YOU LIKE HAPPY ENDINGS. ←
Hey Jan.. -I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day. There is a cause or purpose for the period, that being it is final or a done deal. An emphatic once for all ending. Another “Exhibit A” – something akin to this: “God has spoken.” It’ a done deal. It has happened. Finished. Final. Ended. No need for further comment or concern. Maybe a “Selah” would be more apropos for this. We are, after all- still allowed to think and to discern. Our Father’s richest blessings to you, – with much love- Carl.
Hi This was a very good word study. We need to pray for the church that they will become open to the Torah and begin to understand we never were to have been divorced or separated from the Jewish believers and their practices. I have been studying for eight years now and just truly love learning what God really says through the Torah and the history. I loved hearing about Our Jewish Roots the first time I heard someone teaching it. Adding the history and Hebrew study has made come to life and corrected some things I had learned in a christian walk. I appreciate so much , Skip, your sharing with us this study of the Word. Thank you, Donna Marie
A couple of queries Skip:
“The bible is a book that is full of questions but never giving any answers” – (Ellul) – what are we doing here then.
”Revelation is history, not theology’ – granted, at the primary level, but even Paul himself talks about doctrine – he didn’d really write history – did he?
“God does not reveal by means of a moral code” (what have we been doing talking about the Torah then)?
“they (Christians) follow a system of thought that is alien to the scriptures” – really? all of us? –
“There is no Jewish systematic theology” – Ok, may be not by that name.
Studying and writing theology is not the easiest of tasks, but if it is grounded in scripture, then it is a building and edifying exercise – may our writing (philosophy, theology, psychology…and all other ‘…ologies’ – be found conforming to scripture.
Having just posted a lengthy comment on this, I hope that some of these questions are clearer (I didn’t say “answered).
But to speak directly to your concerns.
1. Questions are the source of life and knowing. What we are doing here is trying to formulate the right QUESTION, not trying to get the right answer. There are lot of answers in this world, but very few people understand the questions. If you thought the Bible was an “answer” book, then you probably have a very simply view of life’s reality. It seems to me that most of the important and big questions are just there – without answers – waiting for us to grapple with.
2. Paul and doctrine. Once again, I appeal to understanding the text in its own context. What does “doctrine” mean to Paul? Is that the same thing that we mean? I don’t think so.
3. Torah is EVERYTHING between Genesis 1 and Deuteronomy 34. That means history, narrative, poetry, song, statutes, commandments, mysterious sayings, praise, prayer, etc. Torah is NOT a moral code. Only if I reduce TORAH to some smaller segment of ethical demands do I end up with a moral code – and even then Torah, as understood by Israel – is not a moral CODE. It is instruction (in all of its forms) about how to live, how to take every opportunity to express worship to God.
4. Of course, not ALL Christians follow some alien system of thought. But in general Christianity has radically departed from the text, faith and practice of Scripture (since 85% of Scripture is about Israel, that should make us realize that we need to get in touch with worshipping the God of Israel). This is the result of a deliberate attempt by the early Church fathers to re-identify Christianity as something other than “a sect of Judaism.” That objective was never part of the plan of the authors of the NT. You might ask why these men needed to re-identify the religion and how they were able to accomplish this (read Marianne Dacy’s work).
5. And again I say, There is no Jewish systematic theology, by any name.
6. Finally, any task which glorifies the God of Israel, honors His instructions and edifies His people is worthwhile and righteous. More power to you. Go for it!
Thanks for the response Skip – we do need to get in touch with worshipping the One True God – who chose to reveal Himself through the nation of Israel – Jew or Gentile, we are blessed in Yeshua – abiding in Him is our life.
I appreciate much of your thought and philosophy, God bless you.
I will look into the work of Marianne Dacy, thanks for the tip –