"Brethrens of Christ, let us see the present moment as destined and fixed by God. It is time we give greater glory to God than those years we are looking forward to, knowing full well that this present moment belongs to us alone, and the future belongs to God."
 |
The New Creation: Heart of the Church and Scripture by Daniel Obikwelu Trafford Publishing
book review by Carol Anderson, D.Min., ACSW, LMSW
In this book we are taken through a journey of the mystery of God, as seen through the author's beliefs related to the teachings of the Bible and the Church. There are 31 chapters exploring God and Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, the Church, Divine mystery, prayer and communion, evil and the devil, doing the will of God, and other topics related to the call of humanity to become more engaged in becoming Christ-like in the journey to salvation. From seeing the God of the Old Testament as a "mask" and to the work in the New Testament which removes the mask in the spirit of Christ, this book explores the story of the past and the stories of our own selves. This is a literalist/traditional, concrete Christian viewpoint of the world with the focus on sin, a paternalistic God, and salvation through Christ and the Church.
The author presents his work in a heartfelt, devoted manner with humility and gratitude of spirit, and it is evident that he is committed to the word of God, Christ, and church. On occasion, the book begins to take us into more Gnostic interpretations(i.e. "Anyone who does the will of God, which is love of neighbour, is of Christ whether he profess (sic) Christ or not...") as well as interesting mystical discussions of the spirit and soul. The writings on the Virgin Mary are thought-provoking and relate a more Divine Feminine aspect of this book, although this gets subverted with the belief that she is the "creature and slave of God." However, such forays into more holistic interpretations reverts to sin, hell, people as "miserable" who live "abominable lives" with their "disordered nature." The most profound writing relates to the acceptance of other religions: "Let us stop fighting each other" as we can all be Christ-like no matter what our viewpoint.