Devotion
On this date we remember the teacher and religious philosopher Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (d. 1855). Kierkegaard emphasized choice and faith as central aspects of life. Tony Campolo shares a story from Kierkegaard to illustrate what the philosopher called “the leap of faith.”
A man is trapped on the edge of a cliff with a fire raging toward him. Minutes before the fire consumes him he hears a voice in the darkness below the cliff calling, “Jump!”
The man answers, “But I can’t see you! There’s only darkness down there!” From the shadows the voice shouts back, “Jump anyway. I can see you!”
(Excerpt from Let Me Tell You A Story, Tony Campolo, Word Publishing, 2000)
Prayer
Almighty God, your Holy Spirit gives to one the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge and to another the word of faith. We praise you for the gifts of grace imparted to your servant, Soren Kierkegaard, and we pray that by his teaching we may be led to a fuller knowledge of the truth that we have seen in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.