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Beware the God Within
K. Chesterton. We find the author in the midst of arguing that it is not sufficient for Mr. Jones to worship at the shrine of self-esteem or self-awareness or self-anything. No, we are called to worship a God who is "totally other." As the psalmist says, "It is he who has made us and not we ourselves." BEWARE THE GOD WITHIN That Jones shall worship the "god within him" turns out ultimately to mean that Jones shall worship Jones. Let Jones worship the sun or moon, anything rather than the Inner Light; let Jones worship cats or crocodiles, if he can find any in his street, but not the god within. Christianity came into the world firstly in order to assert with violence that a man had not only to look inwards, but to look outwards, to behold with astonishment and enthusiasm a divine company and a divine captain. The only fun of being a Christian was that a man was not left alone with the Inner Light, but definitely recognized an outer light, fair as the sun, clear as the moon, terrible as an army with banners. - G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) in ORTHODOXY: THE ROMANCE OF FAITH, New York: Image Books/Doubleday, 1990 (originally published New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1908), p. 76. ISBN 0-385-01536-4 [Mystery lovers, may I suggest that your summer reading include an ample dose of Chesterton's FATHER BROWN MYSTERIES, short stories about the adventures and who-done-it successes of Father Brown, a detective priest.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu |