The African Creed
From Lamin Sanneh, Whose Religion is Christianity?, pages 59-60:
The Maasai of East Africa… speak in their so-named African Creed of believing as a community rather than as individuals, and instead of casting their creed in cognitive abstract terms of the seen and unseen, of Christ as eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, begotten not made, etc., they speak of a journey of faith in a God who out of love created the world and us, of how they once knew the High God in darkness but now know this God in the light. The creed continues with God’s promises in Scripture and momentously in Jesus, “a man in flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God,” until finally he was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed, hands and feet, to a cross, and died. Then the irony of the historical Jesus is clinched with a stunning understatement with the words, “He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day he rose from the grave.” A note of eschatological joy and hope swells to conclude the creed: “We are waiting for Him [Jesus]. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.”
March 26th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
You would have thought the gospel writers would have mentioned the hyenas didn’t touch him, wouldn’t you??? Interesting quote . . .
March 27th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Right, Greg. Where were those evangelists’ heads?
I see that this quote has provoked a wide range of emotions, considering all the comments that have been made…
March 27th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I would have to echo Greg. Interesting! I read this yesterday, but I guess I was kind of lost in thought about it and couldn’t think of another word to use besides “interesting!”
BTW, on Peanut’s webpage, I voted for “Brady” for the middle name! Does that get me out of the doghouse?
March 28th, 2007 at 4:50 am
Tonight, I came across this old African saying. “Beware of the naked man that offers you his shirt.” I learned this at a Bible study. It relates to loving others.