Might I say that I liked Mr. Brown, for the most part. He appeared to be very patient with the forming of the church and focused on keeping peace while the congregation of believers slowly began to learn and understand the ways of Christ, at least the ways as they were taught. He kept the religious zeal of Enoch at bay and prevented him from becoming too aggressive, encouraging him to have a loving heart and be patient. Mr. Brown was also very compassionate towards the culture and took time to understand the religion of the tribes. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the book was Mr. Brown's encounter with Akuna.
"'You say that there is one supreme God who made heaven and earth', said Akuna on one of Mr. Brown's visits. 'We also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made the world and all the other gods.'" (p.179)
This apologetic discussion was fun to read. Mr. Brown begins to learn about the tribe's theology. They practice what is called "henotheism", in which they believe in a supreme god while also acknowledging the presence of other gods. Akuna is smart and relates to Mr. Brown very well with comparisons. He basically explains that Chukwu created all other gods as messengers, and it is through the messengers that the people worship and come to him with their requests. Finally, Mr. Brown points out that the tribe is making Chukwu out to be too human.
This reminds me about problems humans struggle with in general. It is very easy, dangerously easy, to place our own assumptions on God or shape Him to our liking. I use to assume that "God would never do that" and confidently assert it with something I disagree with. I wholeheartedly believed that God would never command someone to sacrifice their child, and when I was about 12 years old I discovered out of my ignorance He did that exact thing. But even more, I realized the story points to a father who truly did sacrifice His perfect son. Jesus Christ was sacrificed and paid for the sins of those who believe in Him. God does whatsoever he pleases as Psalm 115:3 states. What we learn about God should come straight from what Scripture teaches.
Mr. Brown was very interested in his conversation with Akuna and sought to understand their religion in order to lead Him to Christ. Interreligious apologetics between Christians and other religious groups is crucial and should always be approached with great love for one's neighbor.
I commented on the posts of Moriah and Eliza.
"'You say that there is one supreme God who made heaven and earth', said Akuna on one of Mr. Brown's visits. 'We also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made the world and all the other gods.'" (p.179)
This apologetic discussion was fun to read. Mr. Brown begins to learn about the tribe's theology. They practice what is called "henotheism", in which they believe in a supreme god while also acknowledging the presence of other gods. Akuna is smart and relates to Mr. Brown very well with comparisons. He basically explains that Chukwu created all other gods as messengers, and it is through the messengers that the people worship and come to him with their requests. Finally, Mr. Brown points out that the tribe is making Chukwu out to be too human.
This reminds me about problems humans struggle with in general. It is very easy, dangerously easy, to place our own assumptions on God or shape Him to our liking. I use to assume that "God would never do that" and confidently assert it with something I disagree with. I wholeheartedly believed that God would never command someone to sacrifice their child, and when I was about 12 years old I discovered out of my ignorance He did that exact thing. But even more, I realized the story points to a father who truly did sacrifice His perfect son. Jesus Christ was sacrificed and paid for the sins of those who believe in Him. God does whatsoever he pleases as Psalm 115:3 states. What we learn about God should come straight from what Scripture teaches.
Mr. Brown was very interested in his conversation with Akuna and sought to understand their religion in order to lead Him to Christ. Interreligious apologetics between Christians and other religious groups is crucial and should always be approached with great love for one's neighbor.
I commented on the posts of Moriah and Eliza.
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