Musings...

I have just finished reading a book that explained many of the customs and traditions of first century Jewish life, especially Galilean Jews.   It has been quite fascinating and I'm sure that I will be re-reading it many times just to take it all in.  There have been many things that I would love to share, and maybe over the course of the coming days/weeks, I will share different points, but today as the book came to a close, the author quoted a Greek philosopher's observation he had the opportunity of making of an early church.  His name was Aristides and here is what he wrote:

"They abstain from all impurity in the hope of the recompense that is to come in another world.  AS for their servants or handmaids or children, they persuade them to become Christians by the love they have for them; and when they become so, they call them without distinction, brothers.  They do not worship strange gods; and they walk in all humility and kindness, and falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another.  When they see the stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as over a true brother; for the do not call those who are after the flesh, but those who are in the Spirit and in God.

And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and if they have not an abundance of necessities, they fast two or three days, that they may supply the needy with the necessary food.

They observe scrupulously the commandment of their Messiah; they live honestly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them.  Every morning and all hours on account of the goodness of God toward them, they render praise and laud Him over their food and their drink; they render Him thanks...

Such is the law of the Christians and such is their conduct" -Broken Bread, An Ancient Look at the First Last Supper by Jay McCarl

The thought that came to my mind, was this, if Aristides had the opportunity to observe my church, would this have been his testimony?