When Augustine penned his timeless City of God little did he or other know how a distant Roman didymus would utilize his words to equate their own societal failure with his, but hence, some say here we are.
Jerome, it is said, wailed. The populace accused. Augustine defended. Christianity was caught between the cross-hairs of blame.
But, if as many claim such similarity today, where are these barbarians who will snare the spoils of our nation?
The late James Montgomery Boice gives us a definition of barbarian that makes me grimace; grit my teeth.
A barbarian is a person who lives by power and for pleasure rather than by and for principle.
If his definition is accurate, we will have to then take the roll of those filling the pews of the modern sanctuaries will we not? We need not stand back and shake the finger, lest it is pointed homeward. By this defining principle, is it I who becomes the barbarian?
ccragamuffin
mtsweat
Remember him? Oh yes I do. My Grandfather used to let me read his words of wisdom from the Sunday paper on weekends! >snicker<
I have been trying to find this out-of-print work by JMB for some time (I gave my original away many moons ago and have been weeping since). Through Amazon, I located a used but in very good condition owned by a Pastor somewhere in the world who was willing to part with it. Wa—Hoo!!! As an added bonus, it is even HARD COVER! Sorry… the barbarian is coming out again.
Oh yeah… Hey Amazon, make it available on the Kindle! Does that sound too barbarian-ish?
In the words of the great philosopher Pogo (hope you remember him!!)…”we have met the enemy…and he is us.”