Post by elizabeth on Feb 19, 2014 20:41:27 GMT
This point made by a small boy, comes from an article titled Thinking about the Trinity. The author is discussing the problem of defining God:
Back in the fifth century, Augustine of Hippo—one of Christianity’s early theologians—wrote about this problem. Taking a break from writing his major work On the Trinity, he went for a stroll along a beautiful beach nearby. As he walked, he came across a young boy behaving rather strangely. Time after time, the child went to the edge of the shoreline, filled a shell with seawater, and then emptied it into a hole he had dug in the sand.
Augustine watched for some time, mystified. Eventually, he decided to ask what was going on. Pointing to the Mediterranean Sea, the boy said, “I am going to empty the ocean into this hole in the sand.” According to the legend, Augustine smiled and said, “You can’t do that—you’ll never fit the ocean into that tiny hole you’ve dug.” The boy replied: “And you’re wasting your time writing a book about God. You’ll never fit God into a book.”
Click Here In Touch Ministries article by Alister McGrath
Back in the fifth century, Augustine of Hippo—one of Christianity’s early theologians—wrote about this problem. Taking a break from writing his major work On the Trinity, he went for a stroll along a beautiful beach nearby. As he walked, he came across a young boy behaving rather strangely. Time after time, the child went to the edge of the shoreline, filled a shell with seawater, and then emptied it into a hole he had dug in the sand.
Augustine watched for some time, mystified. Eventually, he decided to ask what was going on. Pointing to the Mediterranean Sea, the boy said, “I am going to empty the ocean into this hole in the sand.” According to the legend, Augustine smiled and said, “You can’t do that—you’ll never fit the ocean into that tiny hole you’ve dug.” The boy replied: “And you’re wasting your time writing a book about God. You’ll never fit God into a book.”
Click Here In Touch Ministries article by Alister McGrath
