god with a little "g" - Zelda Peach
"We have no fear that there is no home to which we may return because we fell from it. During our absence our house suffers no ruin; it is your eternity." - book 4, chapter 31
This quote is very profound to me. In a way, it is obvious, that we can always return to God. Augustine is not saying something here that we have never heard before. But the way that he puts it is perfect. no matter how ruined we ourselves might become without God, our home with him in heaven is unaffected considering we eventually return and repent to him. The idea of this thought is beautiful. Considering that, I am not saying that it is ok to go out and commit sis knowing one is planning to return and repent (because that is not real repentance). But, if one is of genuine faith and remorse in repentance to God it matters not how many times that person fails.
There are many points in books 3-5 that I like, but a particular favorite is when Augustine is talking about friendship. He states, "My error was my god"(book 4, chapter 12). This line struck a cord. Augustine here is not saying that the error was with God Himself and in finding a relationship with Him. But instead, Augustine says that his problem was an error with his god- a lower case "g". I do not think he is talking about an actual god like the Greek ideals of a "god" character, but something that he worships and praises as a god. I think that everyone has something or someone that is a god to them, and this god with a lowercase "g" stands in the way of our relationships with the real God, our one true God. So this little and small sentence made me think, "What is my "god" that causes an error in my relationship with my true God?". Now this question is of course very personal and varies from person to person. For some, it may be their cell phone, social media, gambling, alcohol, or drugs. Maybe your "god" is a person or celebrity. Whatever it or who your "god'' is, he/she or it causes an error in your relationship with God. It is important to recognize the difference between admiring and worshiping.
P.S - Haha, I beat Will in writing my blog post before him. What a way to start off the semester XD
P.P.S - I commented on Moriah and Gray's posts
P.P.S - I commented on Moriah and Gray's posts
You present such a necessary perspective for how Augustine saw sin destroying his life. Idolatry is such a problematic and rampant problem for humans because anything can become an idol. Last semester there was a speaker who spoke on idolatry and challenged us to consider if we had allowed any "gods" to sit on the throne of our hearts. We often place friends, family, schoolwork, popularity, etc. in the place where only God should be. Still, when God is on the throne of our hearts, we grow in faith, love, and hope!
ReplyDeleteAugustine's struggle with idolatry is so breathtaking not because of its complexity, but its sincerity. I constantly struggle with putting things before God, and seeing a titan of the Christian faith admit his shortcomings, warts and all, reassures me that I am not the only individual with this problem and encourages me to thank God for his example. Placing things before God is very easy. Self Image, for example, is easy to focus on and pour time and effort into improving. However, the larger this becomes, the harder it is to bring down. Augustine was aware of that , and having the courage to point out his shortcomings and show them to the world reveals a strong faith in Christ. Excellent Post!
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Hello this is a test - Zelda Peach
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