The Doctor and the Apple
It is said that at the University of Chicago Divinity School each year
they have what is called "Baptist Day." On this day each one is to bring a
lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day",
the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the
theological education center.
The story is that one year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich
spoke for two and one-half hours "proving" that the resurrection of Jesus
was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He
concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical
resurrection, the religious tradition of the church was groundless,
emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen
Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He
then asked if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of
short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium.
"Doctor Tillich, I got one question," he said as all eyes turned toward
him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began
eating it. "Tillich"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... "My question is a simple
question," CRUNCH, MUNCH. "Now, I ain't never read them books you read..."
CRUNCH, MUNCH "...and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original
Greek"... CRUNCH, MUNCH..." I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and
Heidegger"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the apple. "All I wanna know
is: This apple I just ate... was it bitter or sweet?"
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly
fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted
your apple."
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled
paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you
tasted my Jesus."
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium
erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and
promptly left the platform.
Have you tasted Jesus?
"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge
in Him." Psalm 34:8
It is said that at the University of Chicago Divinity School each year
they have what is called "Baptist Day." On this day each one is to bring a
lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day",
the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the
theological education center.
The story is that one year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich
spoke for two and one-half hours "proving" that the resurrection of Jesus
was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He
concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical
resurrection, the religious tradition of the church was groundless,
emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen
Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He
then asked if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of
short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium.
"Doctor Tillich, I got one question," he said as all eyes turned toward
him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began
eating it. "Tillich"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... "My question is a simple
question," CRUNCH, MUNCH. "Now, I ain't never read them books you read..."
CRUNCH, MUNCH "...and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original
Greek"... CRUNCH, MUNCH..." I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and
Heidegger"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... He finished the apple. "All I wanna know
is: This apple I just ate... was it bitter or sweet?"
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly
fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted
your apple."
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled
paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you
tasted my Jesus."
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium
erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and
promptly left the platform.
Have you tasted Jesus?
"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge
in Him." Psalm 34:8
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