It is arrogant to think Christians have exclusive knowledge of God
Click the link to see Chaco Canyon
Psalm 19 (Today's New International Version)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
The ruins in Chaco Canyon were constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries by a people with no written alphabet. Yet, the walls on many of the buildings are aligned to within 1/3 of a degree of true north. Many of the buildings are perfectly aligned with each other, even though they are many miles apart and not visible to each other.
Like many ancient peoples, they accurately mark the solar seasons. They are, however, the first known ancients to accurately mark the nearly 19 lunar cycle - that being the time it takes the moon's rising and setting to move from its northern most point to the southern most and back.
Several of the ruins, when plotted on the north/south and east/west walls form bisecting lines which create a cross.
Scientists have said that the largest ruins do not display indications of being inhabited, which would make their purpose unknown. BTW, we are talking about buildings the size of the Roman Coliseum.
When I first heard these things while watching the documentary Mysteries of Chaco Canyon on PBS, the first thing that came to my mind was Psalm 19. It seems pretty clear to me that these people understood how marvelous Creation is, and their place in it. While the name they use for Christ was probably different, I'm guessing they also trusted their Creator for their preservation and reconciliation. Pretty cool.
Psalm 19 (Today's New International Version)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
The ruins in Chaco Canyon were constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries by a people with no written alphabet. Yet, the walls on many of the buildings are aligned to within 1/3 of a degree of true north. Many of the buildings are perfectly aligned with each other, even though they are many miles apart and not visible to each other.
Like many ancient peoples, they accurately mark the solar seasons. They are, however, the first known ancients to accurately mark the nearly 19 lunar cycle - that being the time it takes the moon's rising and setting to move from its northern most point to the southern most and back.
Several of the ruins, when plotted on the north/south and east/west walls form bisecting lines which create a cross.
Scientists have said that the largest ruins do not display indications of being inhabited, which would make their purpose unknown. BTW, we are talking about buildings the size of the Roman Coliseum.
When I first heard these things while watching the documentary Mysteries of Chaco Canyon on PBS, the first thing that came to my mind was Psalm 19. It seems pretty clear to me that these people understood how marvelous Creation is, and their place in it. While the name they use for Christ was probably different, I'm guessing they also trusted their Creator for their preservation and reconciliation. Pretty cool.
posted by Kurt at 2:00 PM
2 Comments:
The Bible repeatedly makes the claim that creation points toward Christ. Seeing the signs is not the same as acknowledging the source. That said, I have no idea if the folks who constructed this magnificent place knew Christ but not by name. Rather than grace, did they, like most nominal western Christians, trust in their own good works as sufficient to merit God's praise? I don't know. I just marvel at the incredible power of the human intellect and the hunger of the human spirit to know God.
Funny though, how we can acclaim the ancients for these feats, and then so easily dismiss the writings of the ancient early Christian leaders, supposing that our modern scholarship has the more accurate read on the actual meaning and intent of the Biblical texts.
The people that occupied that part of North America following the Chacoan disappearance (Hopi & Pueblo tribes) share the belief that one is created and comes from the north, that north is where the Creator is (what Jewish/Christian tradition says is Heaven) and where a soul returns following its life on Earth. Coming out of the canyon on the north/south line are steps ascending to a flat land. From there, an ancient road extends for 35 miles or so across desolate land. There is no evidence of trade activity or other reason for a dead straight road, approximately 30 feet wide in this part of their world. The road ends at the south rim of another canyon. There are ruins if another staircase, at the bottom of which are many parts of broken pottery. Broken pottery usually would symbolize sacrificial or other ceremonial activity. It is theorized that the road provided a way for souls to return to their Creator, as it doesn't not appear to be a heavily traveled road.
And I should be clear that I am not trying to say that Christ's sacrifice isn't necessary for these people. On the contrary, I see it as being necessary for them as well. It brings to mind Paul's statement regarding Abram - that God judged him a righteous man, even before the Law. The Word, whose has existed since the beginning, was sacrificed for those before and after His time on earth. I'm just saying that it is likely that God's mercy and goodness will go way beyond what we understand toward those He calls into relationship with Him.
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