Clint Black on Athanasius of Alexandria

In many South Sudanese cultures, especially the Dinka, real learning takes place via song.  This makes sense, considering the low literacy rate, difficulty of acquiring books, and the fact that everybody learns better by song; some just have the good sense to put good content in their songs.

So, for instance, when the Dinka began their large-scale conversions to Christianity about twenty five years ago, there was an explosion of hymns in most dialects, using some of the same patterns as songs that had been sung around the fire for generations.

I am not a Dinka, but I'm a pretty big fan of learning, and I want to encourage it among my students' parishioners as well.  So I encourage song.  And since I've heard it is best to lead by example, I wrote one--using my own cultural background, of course.  

Athanasius of Alexandria was a 4th Century monk/bishop in Egypt.  He was known for his writings about union with God, and for his role in helping to put all the books of the New Testament together as one.  But Athanasius is most famous for his role as the leader of the Nicene party following the 1st Ecumenical Council in the town of Nicea in the year 325.  Nicene Christians believe that Jesus is in fact divine, while the Arians believed that Jesus was just one more created being.  Among some of his less scrupulous detractors in the imperial court at Constantinople, he was known as the "black dwarf," a poke at his stature and Egyptian heritage.  

So how to communicate this information using my cultural heritage?

To the tune of Clint Black's "Wherever You Go (There You Are)", this is the song I sang to my Church History students last week:

Wherever you go (There's Jesus)

Short dark and dirty, he’s not very smooth

But he knows the Bible like the back of his hand

Starting off as just a deacon with the Nicene crew

But he’ll never let you say that Christ is only a man

If he’s just like this world then we’re out of our minds

Why would we worship One who isn’t divine?

You can’t just change the Lord to make him just like you

At the end of the day, you know it’s true:

Wherever you go, there’s Jesus

So beware of the teachings of Arius

You can send Athansius out to the wilderness

But wherever you go, there’s Jesus

Short dark & dirty, but following God

If you’re exiled five times, what else have you got?

The Church does not depend on the Emperor’s whims

So I’ll go ahead and say it: He’s beginning and end

There was never a time when He was not

Just read John 1 and it’s the end of your plot

Valentian may support you but you’re aiming too low

The Way, the Truth and Life ain’t inventions, bro.

Wherever you go, there’s Jesus

So beware of the teachings of Arius

You can send Athansius out to the wilderness

But wherever you go, there’s Jesus

Once you’re baptized, it’s like crossing a line

You’re a part of His plan, and all that’s on your mind

Is cleansed but don’t let Satan creep in between

Or union with God you will never see

Wherever you go, there’s Jesus

So beware of the teachings of Arius

You can send Athansius out to the wilderness

But wherever you go, there’s Jesus

- John

icon photo courtesy Christianity Today