One year, they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for
two and
one-half hours "proving" that the resurrection of Jesus was
false. He quoted
scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that
since there was
no such thing as the historical resurrection, the religious
tradition of the
church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was
based on a
relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from
the dead in
any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a
head of
short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back. "Doctah
Tillich, I
got one question," he said as all eyes turned toward him. He
reached into
his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it.
"Doctah
Tillich..." CRUNCH, MUNCH "My question is a simple question,..."
CRUNCH,
MUNCH... "Now, I ain't never read them books you read..."
CRUNCH, MUNCH..
"and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek..."
CRUNCH, MUNCH ... " I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and
Heidegger..."
CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the apple.
"All I wanna know is:
This apple I
just ate, ------ was it bitter or sweet?"
Dr. Tillich paused
for a moment
and then answered in exemplary scholarly fashion:
"I cannot
possibly answer
that question, for I haven't tasted your apple."
The
white-haired preacher
dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag,
looked up at Dr.
Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus."
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The
crowd erupted
with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and
promptly
left.
Have you tasted Jesus? "Oh Taste and See that the Lord is
Good"! Please
pass this on, Saints! Jesus has risen ... and He's coming back
one day!
"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who
takes refuge in
Him. If you have, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection that
your faith in
Him brings." Psalm 34:8
Life is not a race. Do take it slower.
OH, TASTE MY JESUS!!!
At the University of Chicago Divinity School, each year they
have what is
called "Baptist Day." On this day each one is to bring a lunch
to be eaten
outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day" the
school would
invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological
education
center.
Hear the music before the song is over.