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| Downy woodpeckers in my backyard |
Now this is eternal life:
that they know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
- Jesus
John 17:3
For Christian theistic philosopher and theologian Dallas Willard, the verse above was key. As you read it, and maybe write it down on a card, carry it with you, and meditate on it, remember that the word "know" means knowledge by experience, not theoretical or sheer intellectual knowledge.
Gary Moon writes:
"I believe that if one were asked to identify a single golden thread that runs through each of Dallas Willard’s books—a key idea that sets his thinking apart from so many others—it would be the idea that it is actually possible to step into the words of John 17:3 and enter into an experiential relationship, a transforming friendship, with the Trinity. In the words of Steve Porter, an ordinary person can grab hold of life from above. An ordinary person can live a “with-God” life—surrendered and obedient to divine will." (Willard, Eternal Living: Reflections on Dallas Willard's Teaching on Faith and Formation, Kindle Locations 292-294. Emphasis mine.)
My book Leading the Presence-Driven Church should be available August 2017.
