Saturday, May 17, 2014

Dialogues of Plato

I was reading the dialogues of Plato a couple of days ago alongside Kaplan's Asia's Cauldron. Plato, being disillusioned with the political establishment that put his teacher, Socrates to death, Plato decided against a political career and left Athens to travel and reflect. After more than a decade he returned to Athens to found the Academy where he taught and continued Socratic traditions until his death. That took place 400 years before Christ but many great men since then and until today have found it hard to fit within the establishment, even so-called Christian establishment. Like Soren Kiergegaard of Denmark in the 19th century who wrote much against the Church and Christianity in Denmark. I look upon Plato, Kiergegaard and John Calvin, the latter being a French refugee persecuted by the established Church and had to settle in Geneva and only several years before his death was granted honorary citizenship of Geneva. Hence, Calvin served for nearly 30 years as a foreigner in the midst of Genevans and the many migrants of his day, mostly "Protestants" who had to flee their homelands in search of a place where religion and godliness could flourish.
Perhaps, as for me it is time to travel and reflect even as this morning's Scripture reading reads: "Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among the disciples. I will wait for the Lord who hides his face from the house of Jacob" (Isaiah 8). You may have the Church or Christianity but without Christ, all things are but a sham and many shameful things have been done in the name of Christ who stands outside the door and knocks, "If anyone hears my voice, he will open the door and I will come in and sup with him and him with me." (Rev 3).

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