Thursday, March 11, 2010

Socrates and Jesus

What if Socrates had met Jesus? I wonder how his life would have changed? He was truly a great thinker whose influence continues on to this day in philosophy. As we look back on his life we can see the fingerprint of God in his thoughts but to our knowledge Socrates never came to know the one true God. What if he had?

The significance of Socrates's approach to life is that one must know one's ignorance and embark upon a journey of thought. That through an awareness of what one does not know one will arrive at the very knowledge that is crucial for life. For Socrates, the good life consisted of the insatiable desire for self revelation.

He also believed in deity. That the traditional gods of his culture would help man in self discovery and lead man to ultimate truth. Through a process known to him as "daimonion" the gods would direct one through an inner voice that required obedience beyond reason for higher knowledge to be found. That man should trust the inner leading of deity and risk living in freedom as though he know good existed and was leading towards truth.

Socrates held to the immortality of the human soul. That peace of mind in life is based upon such certainty and that sources of doubt are removed through "pursuing good." Good for Socrates was a combination of self discovery and obeying the inner voice of deity.

Socrates took his own life in 399 B.C. by drinking poison. Some say the last thing he is known for saying is, "perhaps it is well to bathe before drinking the hemlock, and so spare the women the trouble of washing my body." One wonders how the story might have ended if Socrates had responded to the transforming call of God on his life?

Like Socrates, so many today are searching for inner peace and joy. Like the philosopher of old they too are forging a theory of thought and practice as a means to their final destination and yet, peace and joy eludes them just the same. Could you be such a person?

We must all yield to the call and plan of God in order to find righteousness, peace and joy. It can only be realized by those who have relationship with Jesus Christ and fully surrender self to His will. Know thyself today ... true living is absent until Jesus is present. Meet Jesus today!

Thanks for stopping by!
------
Adrian

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