Were There Three Magi?

Around Christmas time, we hear the account of the birth of Christ. Born to a virgin in the city of David, (Bethlehem) the baby is visited by three wise men. Alright, some may say, "I've heard it before." Regardless, there are a few common misconceptions about the Christmas Story - when the wise men/magi visited - and how many there were. (Photo credit to: Better Living Through Beowulf)

The account of the wise men can be found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2. The following text is what we know about the wise men, (NIV) "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.' When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:1-3)

"When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:' ' But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the clans of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.' " (Matthew 2:4-8)

"After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." (Matthew 2:9-12)

Now that we have the account of the magi, traditionally wise men or kings, we may better determine the following: when did the magi visit Jesus, and how many were there? Also, does prophecy (which makes up 30% of the Bible, and ought not to be ignored but explored) say anything about these things? Verse 1 says, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem," and verse 11 says, "On coming to the house..." Matthew seems to be indicating that Jesus, Mary and Joseph had been in Bethlehem long enough to find a house.

But there is more on this. Matthew 3:16, "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi." (Emphasis added) We have already determined that Christ was visited by the Magi a while after his birth - these passages seem to indicate that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had been living in Bethlehem for about two years. So the magi came to visit between the birth of Christ and the age of two.

Though their names and numbers are not explicitly stated in the Gospel, the wise men have become known as three wise men, named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. First off, why the different names? Were they kings, wise men, or magi? 

The Greek word μαγοι (mάgoi) is translated as “wise men” in the NKJV, KJV, and ESV, whereas the NASB and the NIV translation use the word “magi.” Originally, the word typically referred to Persian wise men, (possibly priests) who were interpreters of special signs, especially astrology-wise. 

The belief that the magi were kings comes from a prophecy found in Isaiah 60:3, "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Christians seem divided on whether these magi were Kings or not. Films such as The Nativity Story do portray these characters in that light - though at the same time portray the wise men visiting the night of his birth, and we know it could not have been the night of his birth.

Even if they arrived in Jerusalem the night of Christ's birth, it is a six mile journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, so it would have been the next day at the latest. But it is assumed that the wise men came from Persia. There is a prophecy found in Psalm 72:10 which says, "May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him with gifts." This verse also seems to be referring to the wise men, though it is controversial, and some scholars do not believe it is referring to the wise men.

Regardless, these magi had most likely known of the prophecy of Balaam, "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel..." (Numbers 24:17a) It was most likely because of this prophecy, and perhaps the prophecies about the Messiah found in Isaiah that the magi knew a very special star would herald the birth of the Messiah, and that he would be born king of the Jews.

The view of having three wise men, magi, or kings, comes from the fact that three gifts were presented to Jesus at his house: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Frankly, scholars are not sure how many magi there were. We know there were at least two, because when they are referred to in Matthew 2 and 3, it is with, "we," "they," the like. Therefore, we have determined that there were at least 2 magi, perhaps 3 or more with them, and that they came to visit Christ sometime after his birth.

Troy Hillman

The Life of Moses

Here, we take a look at one of the "heroes" of the Bible: Moses. The common account is as follows: a man runs away from Egypt, becomes a shepherd, meets God who speaks through a burning bush, and after much strife, leads the Hebrews out of Egypt, to cross the Red Sea, after parting the sea - receiving the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, then wandering in the desert for forty years. (Photo Credit to: The Glue Society, Paramount Pictures - "The Ten Commandments;" 1956 - starring Charlton Heston)

While that is the basic overview of the Life of Moses, let us go a bit deeper: his birth, his life, death - and after life. For a full account, the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy contain the birth, life, and death of Moses. Moses was born (c.1500s-1200s BC) in Egypt to Amram, a member of the tribe of Levi, and his wife Jochebed. A few centuries before, Abraham's great grandson Joseph brought his family to live with him in Egypt. (See entry, "God Can Bring Good Out of Bad Situations," for more on Joseph and his account.)

After the death of Joseph, a new Pharaoh came to power, who enslaved the Hebrews. "Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile."

Pharaoh's Daughter Bithaih (also known as Thermuthis) found the baby, and, feeling sorry as well as realizing it was a Hebrew baby, took him out of the basket. Miriam, Moses' sister who had been watching from the reeds came over, and asked, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" She agreed, so Miriam went and got her and Moses' mother - Pharaoh's daughter paid her to watch Moses, meaning, "draw out," because she drew him out of the water - so Moses' mother nursed him, and when he grew older, he took her to Pharaoh's daughter.

When Moses became of age, he went to his people, and saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. After looking around, he took the Egyptian, killed him and hid him in the sand. Somehow, his act became known, so at the age of forty Moses fled Egypt from Pharaoh's wrath - and, after rescuing a priest of Midian's daughters from shepherds, he married the priest's (Jethro) daughter, Zipporah, and had a son, Gershom. For the next forty years, Moses lived a shepherd's life with his family in Midian.

Forty years later, Moses was tending the flock. After leading the flock to Horeb (some believe it was Mt. Sinai), something happened that would forever changed his life. "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up." In short, the "angel of the Lord," or, "messenger of the Lord," who calls himself God while talking to Moses and proclaims himself as "I AM," was Jesus Christ, pre-incarnate. Jesus himself echoes his words in John 8:58, "'Very truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I AM!" Anytime we see The Angel of the Lord in the Hebrew Bible, he is usually called God in the same passage. Jesus is the only part of the Trinity that can physically appear. (See entries, "Who Is The Angel of The Lord," "The Holy Trinity (Part Two)")

After returning to Egypt, at the age of eighty, Moses, along with his brother Aaron, repeatedly tried to perform signs and miracles before Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. God sent 10 plagues on Egypt - water changed to blood, frogs, lice, flies, murrain upon beasts, boils, hail, locusts, darkness that could be felt - concluded with the death of the firstborn. When the Lord passed over Egypt, and the firstborn died, the Israelites (Hebrews) were protected. It was after this that Pharaoh let his people go. (Exodus 4:18-12:51)

C. Heston as Moses, "The Ten Commandments"

God led his people to the Red Sea. "By the Day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." (Exodus 13:21-22) Pharaoh's men tried to chase the Israelites, but God parted the Red Sea and allowed them to pass to the other side. But when the Egyptians tried to cross over, "He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving...." God told Moses to stretch out his hand over the water, and as he did, the "water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen - the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived." )

So it was that the Israelites were free from Egypt. They traveled to Mt. Sinai - where Moses received the law - and was given the Ten Commandments, which were inscribed by the very finger of God. After disobeying the Lord, however, Moses and the Israelites that were over the age of twenty at that time - save for Caleb and Joshua - were bound to roam the desert until they died. It was during these forty years that God gave the Israelites instructions to make the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and everything in them.

It was during these forty years that Moses recorded down the first five books of the Bible. Through Moses, the Holy Spirit began to write the Word. Genesis - which begins with the Creation of the Universe, follows the story of the fall of man, to the great flood across the Earth that wiped out all but 8 people - to the Tower of Babel and the dispersion of people across the Earth - to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. The first eleven chapters are the history of our world. In Exodus, Moses recorded the account of his birth and life, leading up till the Tabernacle was made. In Leviticus, Moses conveys the Ceremonial Law given to the Israelites - which Jesus Christ fulfilled when he died, replacing it with the New Covenant. (See entry: "Covenants: The Old and the New") Numbers is the book in which Moses recorded the journey of Israel from Mt. Sinai to the Jordan River - including the number of people in each tribe.

Deuteronomy, is Moses' final address to the Israelites. Chapter 34 may have been written by Joshua, though some believe that God allowed Moses to write about his death before it occurred, as God told Moses about his death in Deuteronomy 32:48-52.  Several times he refers to the book, or the law, that he has recorded. Jesus, while on earth, also refers to the Law of Moses often - confirming that Moses penned the first five books. Moses also wrote a few of the Psalms and is believed to have written the book of Job.

Credit to: The Glue Society

After fighting long battles and wandering in the desert for forty years, and with Aaron and Miriam gone, having died before Moses, he addressed the Israelites one last time, and warned them not to fall away from God. After blessing them, "Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land - from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea..." (Deuteronomy 34:1-2)

"Then the Lord said to him, 'This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross over into it.' And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone." (Deuteronomy 34:4-7, 1406/1405 BC)

Moses left The Law, and the true account of the Creation of the Universe. To read the full account of the life of Moses, read Exodus-Deuteronomy. Moses is mentioned all throughout the Old and New Testament... but his death was not his last appearance. Over 1400 years later, the Creator entered into his creation to die for our sins. When Jesus Christ was 33, he was on a mountaintop with James, Peter, and John - The Transfiguration.

"As [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." Peter and his companions awoke, and he offered to put up shelters for Moses and Elijah. "While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.' When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen." (Luke 9:28-36, also in Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:28, 2nd Peter 1:16-18)

Moses is an important figure in history. He led the Israelites out of Egypt, he wrote the first five books of the Bible with the Holy Spirit writing through him. (1st Corinthians 14:37) The Christian Martyr, Stephen, gave an overview of the Life of Moses in Acts 7:20-37. Before closing, let us take a look at his words - as the Holy Spirit spoke through him while he was on trial before Stephen was stoned. "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his parents' home. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons."

"After forty years had passed, an angel [messenger - Jesus] appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say, 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.' This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel [which means messenger] who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. This is Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.' [Jesus] He was in the assembly of the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received the living words to pass on to us."

 

Troy Hillman

The Star of Bethlehem

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read about an elusive star that leads the wise men to the town where the Messiah was born - and to where He was staying after his birth. It was this very star that led the kings, who were also astronomers and astrologists, as the two once went hand in hand, that led them to believe this was the fulfillment of prophecy. (Photo credit to: Saint Benedict's Table)

We often see specials and documentaries on channels such as National Geographic or the Discovery Channel that try to provide an explanation for what this was. Indeed, there have been many attempts made to explain the Christmas Star over the past two thousand years. Some say it may have been a comet or perhaps a bright star, other say it could have been a dying supernova, which would have produced a very bright light in the skies, while yet others infer it may have been the planet Venus, a meteor shower, the aurora borealis (which is the Northern Lights), or even two planets that were in conjunction that would produce a very bright glow.

The wise men, astronomers and kings from Mesopotamia and Persia, were students of the night sky who, night after night, search the heavens for signs - they used astrology. Regardless of how they came about finding or understanding the star, their final destination was Bethlehem - where they delivered the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These men were prophesied about in Psalm 72: 10, "May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him with gifts."

It has been suggested that the wise men followed the star based on the prophecy regarding a star that would herald the birth of the Messiah found in Numbers 2:17, "I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel..." This was a prophecy of Balaam.

If the Star was a supernova, this would not fit the Biblical view. Why? King Herod inquired of the wise men where they had seen the star appear. If it had been a supernova, it would have been quite noticeable. It is the same for a comet - it would have been noticeable to all who gazed on the night sky. Also, a comet would not move and stay over where Christ had been born as the Star of Bethlehem had. (Matthew 2:9)

For the star to have been a celestial and natural object used for supernatural purposes, it would have been something that would amaze the magi (wise men) yet not attract the attention of King Herod. Some suggest a conjunction, as aforementioned. Though rare, there were several that occurred around the time of the birth of Christ. A conjunction occurs when a planet passes another planet - or a star, backs up, passes yet again, and proceeds to reverse direction and pass a third time. Again, though rare, these have occurred.

Once such conjunction occurred around 7 BC, it was a triple conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn. There was also a triple conjunction of the star Regulus (a very bright star) and Jupiter around 3 BC - closer to Christ's birth. (Estimated at 4/3 BC) If a conjunction announced the birth of Christ, there would only be one issue - the Star is described as a single star, not a conjunction - and the astronomers would have known about this.

There was, however, one, only one - conjunction around 2 BC that could be called a "star." In this year, Venus and Jupiter moved so close together that they appeared as one bright star. This would have been perceived as a sign to the wise men. This does not fully fit the biblical account, however: Matthew 2:2, 9 record that the wise men saw the star upon entering Jerusalem - as well as after the meeting with Herod, ultimately leading to Bethlehem. The issue? This merger only occurred on the night of June 17, 2 BC.

As astronomer and astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle of Answers in Genesis so rightly points out, "God can use natural law to accomplish His will. In fact, the laws of nature are really just descriptions of the way that God normally upholds the universe and accomplishes his will. But God is not bound by natural law; He is free to act in other ways if He so chooses. The Bible records a number of occasions where God has acted in a seemingly unusual way to accomplish and extraordinary purpose." (The New Answers Book 2, Ch. 18, pg. 181)

What was the purpose of the Christmas Star? It alerted the wise men about the Birth of the Messiah - which prompted them to follow suite with a trip to Jerusalem. Before we go further, as I mentioned in a previous entry, the wise men did not find Jesus the night of his birth, contrary to popular belief. They actually found a young Jesus living with Mary and Joseph in a house in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:11) He was most likely over a year old.

It is believed though, that Jesus was about two years old - as King Herod tried to have all male children killed to prevent the Messiah from growing up. (Matthew 2:16) It seems as if the Star didn't guide the wise men the entire journey. How do we know this? Though it guided them at first, they had asked King Herod where the baby was born. (Matthew 2:2) But after the meeting, the star seems to re-appear, and they follow it to Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:10)

The wise men already knew that Christ was in Bethlehem - the star seems to have led them to the exact house. They had learned about Bethlehem through Herod's priests, who quoted Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathath, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will rule over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Matthew 2:4-5, 8)

Michael R. Molnar, and astronomer and author of the book The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, concludes that his research as well as the research of many others all come to the same conclusion regarding the qualities of the Star. They are as follows: 1) It signified birth, 2) it signified kingship, 3) it had a connection to the Jews, 4) it rose on the east, just as other stars do (rotation of the earth factored in), 5) it appeared at a specific time, 6) Herod did not know when it appeared, 7) it was there for some time, 8) it stayed ahead of the wise men as they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and 9) the Star stopped over Bethlehem.

Regardless of how much scientific or plausible explanations are thrown out there, or how it was done, God used this Star of Bethlehem to indicate something that would glorify him - and at the same time, would save us all: the Star heralded the Birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Troy Hillman

Formed From the Dust

According to the creation narrative found in Genesis 2, God formed man from the dust of the earth. This is an interesting notion. Is this passage figurative, or literal? Are there other passages in the Scriptural corpus that speak to this? Is there any science behind this? The relevant passage, Genesis 2:7 says, "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Within the narrative, we may infer that man is made of a handful of dust. Why? When a body is cremated, depending on the size of the hands holding it, the amount of dust left is about a hadndful. Following the narrative in the third chapter of Genesis, God tells Adam, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19; emphasis mine). This passage is often quoted on Ash Wednesday, to remind us that we are all in need of reconciliation, and that regardless of what "status" we have in life, our fate is all the same. Thus, it is meant to be a sobering yet humbling thought. In the Wisdom literature, Job says to God, "Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?"(Job 10:9; Photo Credit to: Michelangelo, "The Creation of Adam," 1511)

On a biological level, we see that the human body is made up of minerals - and materials - found in the earth. 63% of the human body is made up of hydrogen, 18% carbon, 25.5% oxygen, and 7% other. There are 59 elements in our bodies, and all 59 of them are from the earth. (Percentages estimated, some research shows that the body is 65% oxygen and 10% hydrogen, others show the reverse.) Aside from the aforementioned elements, it is necessary for our bodies to have tin, silicon, fluorine, and vanadium. Now, the human body is not only made up of "dust" of the earth, but water. The average human body is made up of 75% water - if water was combined with dust, it is only logical that it would produce clay. It is also true that the human body is not only comprised of dust and water. We have bones, muscles, the like. 

Job 10:11-12 says, "[You] clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews[.] You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." Centuries later, St. Paul said in Romans 9:20-21, "But who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,' 'Why did you make me like this?' [from Isaiah 29:16; 45:9] Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse?" 

We see that the motif of dust and water - clay - is concurrent throughout scripture. When St. Paul is discussing our resurrection body, he tells us in 2nd Corinthians 15:47, "The first man [our current body] was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven." Even Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, "and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." Psalm 139:13-14 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

On another level, modern science has determined that we are not merely dust, but stardust. The aforementioned elements that make up the human body were formed within a star, long ago. This beautiful insight actually has very intriguing theological implications. Christian theologian Elizabeth Johnson notes, "Understanding the human species as an intrinsic part of planetary and cosmic matter has far-reaching implications for the meaning of incarnation. In this perspective, the human flesh that the Word became is part of the vast body of the cosmos. Theologians have started to use the phrase 'deep incarnation,' coined by Danish theologian Niels Gregersen, to express this radical divine reach into the very tissue of biological existence and the wider system of nature. Like all human beings, Jesus carried within himself what Jesuit Father David Toolan has called 'the signature of the supernovas and the geology and life history of the Earth.' The genetic structure of his cells made him part of the whole community of life that descended from common ancestors in the ancient seas. The flesh that the Word became thus reaches beyond Jesus and other human beings to encompass the whole biological world of living creatures and the cosmic dust of which we are composed... By becoming flesh the Word of God confers blessing on the whole of earthly reality in its material dimension, and beyond that, on the cosmos in which the Earth exists. Rather than being a barrier that distances us from the divine, this material world becomes a sacrament that can reveal divine presence. In place of spiritual contempt for the world, we ally ourselves with the living God by loving the whole natural world, part of the flesh that the Word became."

Troy Hillman

Sources Consulted

Soriano, Eliseo. "From Dust To Man: A Scientific Proof." esoriano. Wordpress, 05-25-2007. Web. 26 Nov 2010. 

"Only Human?." American Bible Society Presents: Inside the Mysteries of The Bible. 2010: 16-17. Print.

Johnson, Elizabeth. "For God so Loved the Cosmos." Environment. U.S. Catholic, 2013. Web. .

What Are You Thankful For?

Traditionally, around this time of year, people celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. With its roots in Christianity, each year on the fourth Thursday of November, people from all over recount the story of the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving with the Native Americans. (Second Monday in Canada) Although many Americans assume the first Thanksgiving was celebrated at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, there is evidence that is may have been celebrated as early as 1565 in Florida and 1578 in Canada. (Photo credit to: CDF Worldview)

However, unlike many other websites, blogs, and other sources today, I will not be covering the history of thanksgiving. I may another time, but it may be best to take a moment, and think. Ask yourself, "what am I thankful for?" Personally, I am thankful for the friends and family that the Lord has given me. As this is a celebrated holiday, let us take a look at what God's Word tells us about thankfulness - and what we can be thankful for. Psalm 31:19 says, "How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of all on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues." Amen.

Psalm 95:1-6, "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and make joyful noise unto him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord God our Maker." Thank you, Lord.

Again, the intention of this entry is merely to think to ourselves, not of the bad in life, because we could complain on and on - but to give thanks, to glorify the Lord. Psalm 100 says, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Psalm 107:1, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his love endures forever." (See entry: "His Love Endures Forever") 1st Chronicles 29:11-13 says, "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 

Again, we ought to examine our hearts and minds. What are we truly thankful for? Is it our job? Our home? Our lives? Our family? Friends? Some are dissatisfied with theirs, others are not. Perhaps we are thankful for the little things. For the ability to breath, to walk, to taste, to breath. To smell, to hear, to whistle, to laugh. Some have impaired ability in these areas, others do not, making us treasure them and be thankful all the more.

Perhaps you are thankful to be simply be alive. Maybe you are thankful for a friend, a family member. Maybe a companion, or perhaps a pet. Maybe you are thankful for God's Creation. We all have different reasons to be thankful.

Regardless of when you may be reading this, be it the day of Thanksgiving, or any other day of the year, I hope you can find something to be thankful for. There is a song, based off of several different Psalms, which I believe fits this entry perfectly. Here are the lyrics - by no one in particular, there are many covers of this song, it is a well-known song:

"This is the day, this is the day

That the Lord hath made, that the Lord hath made

We will rejoice, we will rejoice

And be glad in it, and be glad in it

This is the day that the Lord hath made

We will rejoice and be glad in it

This is the day, this is the day

That the Lord hath made"

"I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart

I will enter His courts with praise

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made

I will rejoice for he has made me glad"

"He has made me glad, He has made me glad

I will rejoice for He has made me glad

He has made me glad, He has made me glad

I will rejoice for He has made me glad!"

We have a lot to be thankful for. Colossians 3:15-17 says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through the psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Thank you for taking the time to read this entry of "The Truth." I understand that this has not been the most informative, insightful entry, but that was not the intention. Sometimes, we need to just sit back, take a moment, and think to ourselves... What Am I Thankful For? 

Troy Hillman

"His Love Endures Forever"

How often do we find ourselves falling into darkness? Not in a literal sense, but in a spiritual sense? We come to a point where we commit the same act over and over again, of sin, and cannot seem to stop. When this happens, some of us feel that God has momentarily turned his back to us because we failed him. (Photo credit to: TodayAbundance.com)

We are given a reminder 41 times in the Bible: "His love endures forever." His love does not last up until you break a promise or sin again, whatever that sin may be. His love goes on, and all he asks us to do is repent and pray for forgiveness - and the strength to work on not doing such a thing again. In this entry, we will take a look at just how "His love endures forever."

Psalm 150:6 says, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"That said, why do we not? Never forget to praise the one who created the universe, the one who entered into his creation to die for us, so that in him we may be saved. The love of Christ was so great that he was willing to die for every soul, even though he knew that not all would turn to him - but gave them the choice whether or not to follow him. As Christians, we reply to the Christ. "Follow me." (John 21:19b)

Psalm 136 gives the best example of how the Lord's love for us endures forever, no matter what. It describes who God is, why we ought to give thanks to him, and shows that his never-ending, never-changing, ever-present love is real - and true.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  

   His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.  

   His love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:  

   His love endures forever.

to him alone does great wonders,

   His love endures forever.

who by his understanding made the heavens,  

   His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,  

  His love endures forever.

who made the great lights - 

   His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,  

   His love endures forever.

the moon and the stars to govern the night;  

   His love endures forever.

to him who struck down the first born of Egypt

   His love endures forever.

and brought Israel out from among them  

   His love endures forever.

with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

   His love endures forever.

to him who divided the Red Sea asunder  

   His love endures forever.

and brought Israel through the midst of it,

   His love endures forever. 

but swept Pharaoh and his army into the red Sea;  

   His love endures forever.

to him who led his people through the wilderness;

   His love endures forever.

to him who struck down great kings,  

   His love endures forever.

and killed mighty kings -

   His love endures forever.

Sihon king of the Amorites  

   His love endures forever.

and Og king of Bashan -

   His love endures forever.

and gave their land as an inheritance, 

   His love endures forever.

an inheritance to his servant Israel.  

   His love endures forever.

He remembered us in our low estate  

   His love endures forever.

and freed us from our enemies.  

   His love endures forever.

He gives us food for every creature. 

   His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven.  

   His love endures forever."

Without "His love endures forever" repeated after each line, Psalm 136 presents an account of God's history with His people, including his acts and his protection against the enemies of his people . The repetition of "His love endures forever" magnifies God's love? The repetiton brings God's love for us into a clear, concise picture.

1st Chronicles 16:34;41 again shows this. "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever... With them were Heman and Jeduthan and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, 'for his love endures forever.'" When the Ark was brought into the temple, "The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: 'He is good, his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God." (2nd Chronicles 5:13-14)

The same act was performed at the dedication of the temple, with the same song sung. (2nd Chronicles 7:3;6) 2nd Chronicles 20:21 says, "After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of army, saying: 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.'"

After the Babylonian Exile and return, we are told in Ezra 3:11, as the foundation for the rebuilt temple is laid, "With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good, his love toward Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid."

Jeremiah 33:10-11 mentions this in prophecy. "This is what the Lord says, 'You say about this place, It is a desolate waste, without people or animals. Yet in the towns of Judah and streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying, 'Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever.' For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the Lord."

Psalm 100; 106; 107; and Psalm 118 either mention "His love endures forever" or hints at it. What will it take for us to see the plain truth, to see what is right in front of us? We may fall to sin, we may fall to temptation, we may stray from the path - but we can come back, we can face restoration - why? It is because HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.

Troy Hillman

Jesus: The Most Influential Person in History?

Is Jesus the most influential person in history? For Christians, Jesus is the Savior. For some Buddhists, he was a Buddha (enlightened one). For some Hindus, Jesus is another incarnation of Krishna. For Muslims, Jesus was a prophet. Jesus of Nazareth began a movement that has changed the course of Western civilization, and influenced Eastern cultures. Jesus also appears to be the most well-known figure in history, as well. The encyclopedia, Britannica, for example, devoted 21,000 words to Jesus Christ, holding as the largest of the biographies, surpassing that of former US President Bill Clinton - a mere 2,511 words. The story of a young man from a small village who would later go on to become the single most influential person in all of human history, even to this day, nearly 2,000 years after his death.

In what ways has he influenced our world? Millions of churches across the world have been built in his name, thousands of charities and foundations, hospitals, colleges and universities, and many lives have been changed by the teachings of Jesus. The calendar we typically use is based around his birth - BC means Before Christ, AD means Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord; some mistakenly believe that AD means After Death, however, but Christ was born around 3/4 BC and died between AD 39-33). Many works of art, literature, music, films, plays, and other such things have been influenced by Jesus. The holidays of Christmas and Easter are based on the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Further, we may say that St. Patrick's Day and St. Valentine's Day, two holidays which are originally rooted in the lives of two Christian saints, are indirectly caused by Jesus and the movement he began. Most of the world in the last 2,000 years has at least once heard of Jesus. A number of religious orders - such as the Franciscan Order - have been founded within the religious tradition that Jesus began, and these orders have themselves made and continue to make large impacts upon the world.

Scholars have often found the teachings of Jesus to be most wise and astute. At the very least, they hold Jesus in regard as a great teacher. Jesus was only in the public eye for an estimated three and a half years, and is more well-known and influential than even the big three philosophers: Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. Those three philosophers had around a total of 150 years in the public eye. Across the globe, for centuries, people have been deeply influenced by Jesus. Authors over the past 2000 years have felt compelled to write about Jesus. Writers of the second century for example, Tertullian or even St. Irenaeus, supported the accounts written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Many more joined in - take H.G. Wells for example. Known for such works as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, War of the Worlds, and many others, he had written a 1200 page volume titled "The Outline of History." Wells not a Christian. He was startled when he had completed to manuscript, to find that two pages had been devoted to his hero, Plato, and that there was a total of forty-one pages devoted to Jesus Christ - larger than any other historical figure in the work.

The three leading magazines in the United States - Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News World Report, tend to dedicate their covers to top news from that week, be it economic, social, scientific, political, entertainment, or have what you. In the last decade alone, Jesus Christ has been featured on the covers of these magazines more than 21 times. He has appeared on the cover of Time magazine more than any other person, excluding the last several U.S. presidents. If these magazines cover hot topics and current events, why dredge up events that are 2000 years old? In the last seventy years, Christianity itself has been featured on the cover of Time magazine more than sixty-five times. So why is this simple Jewish man from a small village is so popular and influential?

Matthew 8, Mark 8, and Luke 9 records and exchange between Jesus Christ and his disciples. "When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ [which means Messiah], the Son of the Living God.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 16:13-17) The question can be asked of us is then, "Who do we say that Jesus is?" This question, and how we answer that question, can and have wide ranging consequences.

Jesus will continue to fascinate and intrigue the world until the end. If we were to take a look at each and every way that Jesus Christ has influenced history, has influenced culture, religion, society, life in general, politics, economics, and what have you, I suppose we would be sitting here for quite a while indeed, for no one man can determine what a major impact Jesus has had upon the lives of billions of people in history - and the effect that he continues to have on us today.

Troy Hillman

What is Love?

No, not the 1993 song by Haddaway. The dictionary describes "love" as "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend; a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart." But what is love? (Photo credit to: Women at the Cross)

Well, before I go any further, understand that I am not going as deep as I could, merely scratching the surface of this divine gift. Whether you choose to adhere to what is written here or not is your choice and yours alone, not mine. The verses about love are taken from God's Word. Verses on love are scattered throughout the Bible, and many verses imply love. If we were to go over each and every one, we may as well type up the majority of God's Word. Proverbs 15:17 gives a good example. "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate." While this is merely a wisdom, love in many forms is talked about in the Bible.

Other such wisdom, Proverbs 17:9 for example, says "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." This is true. Solomon was one to speak often of love. In the Song of Solomon, 8:6-7, he tells us, "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned."

St. Paul also often spoke of love. Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." He goes on in Ephesians 5:33 to say, "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." When St. Paul speaks of love as a virtue, he says, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:14) Even the philosopher Aristotle once said, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." I tell you that there is an overall point of this, but I am providing the Biblical definitions of love so that we may better understand what love truly is. We are told that, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1st Peter 4:8) We are later told that God is love - "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1st John 4:8) There is also no fear in love, 1st John 4:18, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Perhaps the most well-known and best passages that describe what love is and should be is found in 1st Corinthians 13:1-8;13. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails... and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

We also find in Galatians that love is one of the fruit of the spirit. But what is love, truly? 1st John 3:16 gives us that very answer. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." Love is found in Christ! How many people throughout history, and even today, have found love in Christ? I know that I have. Jesus is love.

Christ's sacrifice, the Messiah himself humbling himself by putting himself "lower than the angels," (Psalm 8:5, Hebrews 2:7) is the ultimate show of love. For the love of his Creation, he gave himself. Psalm 33:5-6 says, "He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth."

God created the Universe, and in his love, created us, and though we fell from our proper place, we have a way to be reconnected with our Creator, to be with him after death: to accept Jesus, his one and only Son, as our savior, ask for forgiveness of our sins, and be saved from the penalty of the eternal fire. As said earlier, this involved theology, not mere philosophy or logic. Logically, if the Creator makes his creation, and it falls from grace, he provides a link so that it may come back to him. That link is Christ. God is love, and we shows us how to love through his Son and through his word. Love between a man and a woman, between friends, between people and their pets, between the Creator and the Creation, we can learn valuable things if we only take the time to stop, look, and observe.

Troy Hillman 

God and Government: The Separation of Church and State (Part Two)

In the previous entry, we covered a bit of history regarding the separation of church and state, documentation, and other such things. We left off talking about the 14th Amendment, which provides that no state shall "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property." Before I go any further, I feel inclined to mention that I am not giving my stance on the subject, merely facts that you may or may not have heard, and you may decide for yourself. (Photo credit to: Find Room 219)

The United States has a greater interest in religion than any other country in the world. Now, the US may not practice religion as much as others, but a lot of things in our society, economy, and political field deal with religion - especially in the fields of Creation Science, Theology, Logic, and Philosophy. James Madison once said, "Religion flourishes in greater purity, without the aid of the government." He was correct - for example, if you are trying to start a group for something, if you have an outside force that hinders growth, how then could it be beneficial? Several ways. Private schools provide courses in English, Social Studies, Science, Math, Foreign Language, and lastly, Biblical Principles and Doctrine.

Schools like St. Mary's are supported (in part) by public money from local, state, and federal governments. Local money pays for things such as bus rides to and from, federal funds pay for schoolbooks and money for remedial teachers for children who require more help. In one state, upwards of $10 Million alone is given to private schools, most of them church related, but not all. Understand that federal funds are used by religious schools to cover the costs of secular courses, and not religious courses. Now, Accomodists tend to argue that if the Government does not provide religious institutions with the funds that they need to survive, it will jeopardize the religious freedom of thousands, if not millions, of Americans, since a church's school is a vital part of the ministry.

Separatists argue that every dollar that is spend on religious education is a dollar lost from public education. They emphasize the 1st Amendment's opening words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, whereas Accomodists emphasize the second clause, "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Now, what of taxes? Local, state, and federal tax laws are designed in such a way that educational institutions such as schools and colleges are exempt from local property taxes. Churches are tax-exempt. Even charities, such as the Red Cross, are not subject to income tax. In a recent estimate, the United States has upwards of $80 Billion worth of untaxed church property. Some people have misused this tax-exemption, and even Christian leaders question the tax exemptions, hoping it will not lead to a riot against churches.

Church and the Medical field have often intersected as well. In July of 1980, 33-year old Charles Williams was shot in Detroit, Michigan, while cleaning paint brushes. Williams was rushed to a hospital, but less than seven hours later, even though his doctor had said there was a 90% chance of survival, Williams was dead. He had refused a blood transfusion based on his beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness, quoting Acts 15:20.

Acts 15:20 says, "Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood." Nowhere does it say you may not be given a blood transfusion to survive. The man who shot Williams got three years in prison for "careless and reckless use of a firearm," and was charged as such because the shot itself was not what killed Williams, it was because he refused blood transfusion. Is it moral for doctors to adhere to a patient's religious convictions when a life is in danger?

Take this for example: there is a two-year old with cancer. The patient's parents religious ideals do not allow them to receive medical care, and they do not believe he ought to receive it. Supposedly, Doctors could take the parents to court and gain temporary custody to treat the child, due to their "moral right," and if the parents refused and no action was taken the parents could be sued or even jailed for what could be perceived as murder - this is where rights come into conflict.

School seems to have the same issue. Christian students continue to lobby for the ability to pray freely and openly as they choose. Creationists say that Creation should be taught along with Evolution, so that the students may decide for themselves. However, again, rights come into play: some religious organizations do not even allow their children to pledge or salute to the American Flag. In the 1930's-1940's, this led to many court cases involving the Jehovah's Witnesses. The 1943 court decision allowed that no one had or has the right to force students to publicly display patriotism, especially the Pledge to the Flag. The same applies with military service, people who are religious cannot be forced (in the US) due to a decision of the Supreme Court. If people do not want to use, for example, birth control, that is their right. However, under the 1st Amendment, they do not have the right to compel others to do the same.

Most people assume that life is better in modern time because we are all connected. But is it? We see wives and children no longer submitting and obeying, we see Divorce, adultery, drug abuse, unmarried mothers, illicit sex, and ever-increasing violence. Court cases between religion and abortion, homosexuality, contraception, sex ed, evolution, and others, continue even to this day. 350 years ago, Roger William's experiment had protected the men and women of all religions. The adoption of the 1st Amendment liberated the Government from the laws of the former colonies, and to this day, no one church dominates the United States politically. Is it good that church and state are connected in many areas?

Laws that protect the rights of workers, including child labor laws, owe a great deal to religious groups, as do social service programs, slum clearance projects, educational programs, and the improved treatment of criminals and the insane. Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights do not forbid us to bring our religious ideals upon the affairs of the state, and from time to time, individuals use that to their advantage.

I trust this two-part series on the topic of the Separation of Church and State has provided the American reader with useful information, and the foreign reader with some insight into the U.S. Government. Take care, and may God bless you. Troy Hillman

Previous Entry: "God and Government: The Separation of Church and State (Part One)"

God and Government: The Separation of Church and State (Part One)

When you take a look at the news, a recurring topic seems to be the religious involvement in government, and the government involvement in religion. We see and hear about cases in which it has been taken to far, we hear of law, or doctrine, and in this two-part series, I plan to take a look at this very topic, with special thanks to Ann E. Weiss, who authored God and Government. (Photo Credit to: Wetheminority.com)

Now, understand that this series revolves, for the most part, around the United States of America, though the history also involves countries such as Germany. (Martin Luther) What is one of the most common mistakes among the American people? The separation of church and state. The issue? The Constitution never actually says that there must be a separation.

There was a case in Ocean Grove, New Jersey - any and all non-religious activity on Sundays were not permitted under law, until the 1980s when a drunk driver appealed to the court to change these laws that had been established in the 1800's. Breaking religious laws in the United States is not credited as a criminal act, and there is no public law that forces anyone to donate to religious causes and organizations.

People can worship as they want, if they chose to worship of course, but because we have the freedom of religion, they do not have to. The legal system and religion has close-knit ties. For example, the court of the 1960's put a swift end to the daily reading of passages in the Bible and reciting of Christian prayers in public schools across the nation. However, if we are to look at history, we need to understand that a belief in a supreme being, a God, is the cornerstone of the American government and life.

When we look at the Pledge of Allegiance, we see the words, "one nation under God." Meetings of state legislatures, meetings of Congress, and municipal bodies are all, generally, opened in prayer, asking for God's blessing. The American currency has the words "In God We Trust" written on it. We sing national songs such as "God Bless America," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," "America the Beautiful," and many others. You also find that prayers are common at Graduation ceremonies, be it public or private schools.

Also, when someone is taken to court, they are told to swear to tell the truth - on the Holy Bible. We find that most business across the United States tend to observe the Christian Sabbath, and allow their employees to have a day of rest. Does the church affect the production and sale of things? Certainly. In some cities and townships, you cannot sell liquor legally within a specific distance of a church.

Now, onto the historic portion. In the 1600's, Anglicanism was the dominant religion. If anyone was non-Anglican, that person could be fined or even imprisoned. In the year 1608, separatists from Nottingham sailed across the English Channel to Amsterdam, later moving to Leiden. They found freedom there. However, as time passed, their children were taught the Dutch ways, which the separatists opposed. During the summer of 1620, they returned home.

In September of 1620, these same separatists left England to establish a colony in the New World. These people are commonly known as the "pilgrims." The pilgrims came to the New World because they wanted their own church, their own state, labeling Christianity a pagan religion. The Puritans, who settled in Boston in the 1630's, had similar views and ways.

Going back further, in 311 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine announced that Christians could now live in peace, after many years of persecuting, and proceeded to make Christianity the religion of Rome. Centuries later, in May of 1787, representatives from the states gathered in Philadelphia to write the American Constitution. Of the 55 delegates who attended, when a national church was proposed, the majority opposed the idea.

By that year in history, America was a land of many faiths: there were around 4 Million Protestants, 25,000 Catholics, 10,000 Jewish, and the list goes on. The belief of the time was that "all men are born with a natural right to the freedom of conscience. Freedom of conscience is a God-given right and cannot be taken away by any law of man." Does the Declaration of Independence actually refer to God?

Verily I tell you, it does. The document calls him "God," the "Creator," the "Supreme Judge of the World," and the "divine providence." When we look at the Constitution, we do not see God, religion, or the Bible mentioned except, "In the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven." The majority of the delegates made it a point to omit God from the Constitution. Nine states ratified the Constitution, and it went into effect on March 4, 1789.

George Washington was sworn in as President, and the members of the first congress too their seats right away. They began working on amending the Constitution by adding what is known as the "Bill of Rights." The Bill of Rights was passed on September 25, 1789. What is all the fuss about? The First Amendment. What is the text of the First Amendment?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." (Bill of Rights, 1st Amendment)

Although the 1st Amendment says that Congress cannot establish one particular religion or prohibit the practice of another religion, it does not prevent Congress from passing all type of laws that can effect religion. Consider for a moment: the First Amendment only applies to the federal government, it does not make a mention of state and local governments and their relationship with religion.

States themselves are free to establish official religions, demand a religious test for office, and can even limit civil rights of what we call "dissenters." Moving ahead to the 1800's, religious discrimination was wide and dominant in the southern states. For example: New Hampshire Catholics were not allowed to vote until 1851. New Jersey did not extend the full civil rights to people who were non-Protestants until the year 1844.

It was only after the 14th Amendment that the First became legally binding upon the United States, including the South. It proclaims that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." (Bill of Rights, 14th Amendment, Section I)

(To be continued, in Part Two). 

Troy Hillman

Does God Hear All The Prayers of Humanity?

From a Christian theological perspective, one of the frequently posed questions is: "How is it possible for God to hear—and potentially respond to—billions of people around the world simultaneously, all while sustaining the operations of the universe?" Christian theology offers various ways of addressing this question, drawing upon scriptural, philosophical, and metaphorical resources. A particularly illustrative response comes from C. S. Lewis, one of the most influential Anglican thinkers and theological writers of the twentieth century. Known for works such as The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Mere Christianity, Lewis reflects on this very issue in the latter work. What follows is a theological reflection, grounded in Lewis’s thought, on the nature of divine temporality and omnipresence. (Photo credit to: St. Johns)

Lewis employs an imaginative analogy to illustrate God’s relation to time. Imagine an author writing a novel. Within the novel are two characters, "Martha" and "Clark." One scene unfolds with Clark sitting in his living room when Martha calls. As Clark goes to answer the phone, the author pauses writing and deliberates—perhaps for hours—on what should come next. During this pause, time continues for the author, but not for the characters in the story. For Martha and Clark, no time has passed; the next moment simply arrives. In this analogy, the author’s relationship to the fictional world mimics, albeit imperfectly, God’s relationship to creation.

Lewis makes the theological point that “God is not hurried along in the time-stream of this universe any more than an author is hurried along in the imaginary time of his own novel.” Because God exists outside of time—what Christian theology refers to as divine atemporality—he has, as Lewis says, “infinite attention to spare for each one of us.” Thus, God's engagement with human beings is not constrained by sequential, earthly time. "You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had created," Lewis writes. This forms the theological basis for the claim that Christ’s death was for each person individually, as though that person were the only human in existence.

This analogy resonates with the claim in Hebrews 12:2, which describes Jesus as “the author and perfecter of faith.” The metaphor positions God as both transcendent author and immanent participant—within and beyond the boundaries of time.

To expand the metaphor further, we might consider an example drawn from popular culture: the 1982 film Tron. In the film, the game designer Kevin Flynn is drawn into a digital world of his own making. Although Flynn exists outside this created environment, he enters into it and interacts with it as one of its inhabitants. As the designer, Flynn determined the logic and temporality of the game’s universe—he could step away for what seems like hours or days in his world, while time within the game would remain unchanged. While not a theological analogy per se, the parallel is suggestive: if God, like Flynn, stands outside of creation and its constraints, then divine attention to each individual prayer need not be limited by temporal simultaneity.

Christian theology, while acknowledging the limits of human analogy, would affirm that God’s capacity to hear and respond to prayer is not bound by human limitations. As Jeremiah 29:13 affirms, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The theological claim is not only that God hears but that God is always capable of responding—because divine time is not our time.

Of course, such analogies are simplifications of far more complex theological doctrines. Still, they can offer meaningful insight. More broadly, prayer is a near-universal feature of religious life, found in traditions as diverse as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism. Within the Christian tradition, human beings are said to be created imago Dei—in the image of God—a concept that affirms the inherent dignity and value of each person. From this foundation, Christian theology holds that each individual is uniquely known and loved by God.

Thus, through such theological reasoning and imaginative analogies, one may argue that a transcendent and omnipotent deity could, indeed, hear all prayers at once—not in spite of divine transcendence, but precisely because of it.

Troy Hillman