Ever since the creation of the world, his (God’s) invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
St. Paul, Romans 1:20
St. Paul’s statement in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans was in reference to pagans who were not behaving in accordance to God’s law. Paul goes on to state that there is no excuse for such behavior and that the people could not claim to be ignorant of God’s expectations since creation itself shows God’s invisible attributes. In other words, to summarize a statement in the Collegeville Bible Dictionary, "Paul is concerned with people who do not behave according to God’s plan. This plan was in plain view in the orderliness of creation" (p. 1082).
In Romans 1:24-32 Paul states why the pagans failed to behave in accordance to God’s law. To summarize Raymond Brown from his book Introduction to the New Testament, "human fault and stupidity led to the divine image being obscured in the pagan world" (p. 566). Examples of inappropriate behavior would be idolatry, lust and other forms of depraved conduct. Further, Paul cites “stubbornness” and an “impenitent heart” as vices that prevent people from changing from their evil ways.
However, the pagans were not without opportunities to be aware of God’s divine plan. In the past, God used prophets to proclaim his word to Israel but such messages were also delivered to many Gentiles who would then attaching themselves to local synagogues in order to be part of the Jewish community.
God’s word and presence for that
matter, as we know from Paul's statement in Romans 1:20, was not limited to the
Jews or those who were close to a Jewish community. This we know from a number
of teachings that have come down to us throughout history that are indeed
similar to what is taught in the Gospels. That is why the Catechism of the
Catholic Church makes the following statement in regards to how God
prepared people from all over the world for the coming of Jesus Christ:
The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of such immensity that God
willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes everything converge on Christ:
all rituals and sacrifices, figures and symbols of the First Covenant. He
announces Him through the mouths of the prophets who succeeded one another in
Israel. Morever, He awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of his
coming.
(#522)
Further, just as God used the voices of the prophets, or those chosen
specifically by him to deliver his message to Israel he also used particular
individuals from particular Gentile/pagan cultures to deliver His message to
those closest to such individuals. This of course was for the same reason that
the prophets came before Christ, to prepare the people for His coming, which in
most cases would be in the presence of those that Christ sent out into the
world.
One example of such an idea has been cited by many Christian theologians who
refer to the teachings of Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates whose
teachings are very similar to what is taught in by Christians. For
example, Plato along with a lesser known predecessor of his named Xenophanes
spoke of the existence a single deity rather than the pantheon of gods that
most Greeks believed in. Further, Plato and Socrates, who both lived in the 4th
century BC, seemed to prophesize the coming of Jesus as they spoke of the
“Logos” (Word) that was indeed coming. And, like the prophets Plato and
Socrates were at times persecuted for their personal beliefs that did not
coincide with the beliefs or agendas of their peers.
As we will see this wisdom was not something that was only limited to Greek
thinkers. In fact, it also occurred on a different continent centuries later but
at a time when those in the area had no knowledge of the Christian faith. That
was when God worked through the efforts of a father and son tandem from the
pre-Columbian Mexican city known as Texcoco. These individuals were
Nezahualcoyotl and Nezahualpilli, two tlatoanis (rulers, kings) of the
Alcohuan people.
Monotheism in Ancient Mexico
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards pre-Columbian Mexico was a highly organized society that was regulated by a triple alliance government of three highly populated cities: Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan. Like many great cities each of these three places had its own form of government, culture, scholarship, artistry as well as religious practices. Contrary to popular belief not all of the people in pre-Columbian Mexico practiced human sacrifice with the intention of appeasing bloodthirsty gods. In fact, the great king of the Texcoco region, Nezahualcoyotl had a system of beliefs that not only contradicted this ideology but also spoke out against the practice human sacrifice.
Nezahualcoyotl was the Renaissance man of his day. He was not only a king but a
scholar who was well versed in astronomy, literature, philosophy, engineering
as well as a patron of the arts since he was a poet. Luis Valdez stated that he
was actually a precursor to someone like Frederick the Great who, “found time
to mingle intellectual pursuits with war and statecraft.” In pre-Columbian
Mexico this was also rare due to the fact that many of the intellectuals in
this time period came strictly from the priestly class.
Gospel Preview
Nezahualcoyotl established a city in pre-Columbian Mexico that many historians call the Athens of the Western World. His first act as king was to establish laws that were considered to be so effective that it would also be adopted by his allies. Along with being a good statesman he also had important ideas regarding religion as he would eventually follow in the footsteps of great thinkers such as Plato and Socrates as he embraced a belief that was contrary to the beliefs of his peers, which was the belief in one God that didn’t require the blood offerings of human victims. After abandoning his pagan beliefs he built temples with altars filled with flowers and incense that offered praise to the what he called the true God.
After establishing his beliefs Nezahualcoyotl recognized the need to allow the spirit of this true God to direct his life. Eventually he would make a normal practice of disguising himself so he could walk the streets of the kingdom undetected, which in turn gave him the opportunity to see the living conditions of his people. At the sight of specific needs or shortcomings he would address them immediately in order to serve his people properly. In other words, while not knowing the Gospel in its written form he was aware of the message of Jesus Christ and made every effort to obey the commandments Jesus gave his followers in regards to assisting those in need (Matthew 25:31-46).
Prior to his death he is said that have made the following comment: “How deeply
I regret that I am unable to understand the will of the great God, but I
believe the time will come when he will be known and adored by all the inhabitants
of this land” (A Handbook on Guadalupe, p. 45). This statement was
indeed true since Nezahualcoyotl did live in ways that were not a part of the
Christian lifestyle. At the time of his death he was survived by several wives
and concubines and was said to have fathered 110 children. However, he was
honored by the people and believed to have set up a powerful dynasty and this
would be evidenced by his successor, one of his many sons named Nezahualpilli.
It was also proven to be true as the Christian faith would eventually make its
way to this land through the efforts of the Spanish missionaries.
Legacy
Nezahualpilli was essentially the same type of ruler as his father. He was known to be fair and compassionate as he actually abolished the death penalty for certain crimes that in the past required the execution of the convicted. Like his father he was also a poet and a philosopher and was seen by many as a religious sage. His name is defined as “lord of fasting,” which was probably a reflection of his religion devotion since he was known to have a strong devotion to the true God. Further, this devotion surely enlightened him to be a great king since many of his peers and subjects saw him as a king Solomon type figure since he was known as the wisest man of his era (1 Kings 3:12).
Finally, Nezahualpilli, like his father also had aspects of his life that were
not in agreement with the Christian faith. He was a polygamist and fathered 144
children, which is another reason why he is compared to Solomon who, while
having a strong devotion to the true God, continued to live a promiscuous life.
(1 Kings 11:3).
Missed Opportunity
In looking back at what we know about the history of the
first contact that Christians had with the indigenous people of
pre-Columbian Mexico one could reflect on what could have been had the conquistadors taken the time to see if there were any elements in the thinking
of the indigenous people that were similar to their own Christian beliefs.
Perhaps there would have been a much more peaceful process with less bloodshed
that would have not only saved lives but left present day Mexico in a better
condition.
Sadly, it is not uncommon to be suspicious of those who come from a different
place or in the case of today's world, a different lifestyle. Such suspicions
are all too common even if the incident is without violence and
bloodshed.
At the end of the first century AD and throughout its history the Church
became an international community that no longer belonged to one race of
people. This of course would lead many people to be suspicious of the wisdom of
other cultures, such as the early Church Father Tertullian who took exception
to the idea of embracing the wisdom of a culture that did not give Christianity
to the world. This is best described is his statement, “What does Athens have
to do with Jerusalem? What does the Academy have to do with the Church?”
Tertullian’s attitude was common during the time of the early Church as many
Christians held a view towards the Greeks that was best described by Tatian.
According to Justo Gonzalez, Tatian believed that, “All that the Greeks have
that is of any value (were) taken from barbarians: they learned astronomy from
the Babylonians, geometry from the Egyptians and writing from the Phoenicians”
(The Story of Christianity Volume I, p. 54). Gonzalez goes on to say
that Christians believed that the writings of Moses, “ (were) much older than
those of Plato and…. Homer,” and that since the Greeks, “learned their wisdom
from the barbarians,” they must have, “ misunderstood it, and thus twisted the
truth that the Hebrews knew.” With a strong appreciation for Hebrew wisdom it
is not a surprise that Christians would refuse to associate with knowledge and
wisdom that came from cultures that were indeed pagan in their religious forms
or with cultures whose ancestors had either enslaved the Israelites or had
taken them away from their homeland during the Diaspora.
However, many Greek converts were able to appreciate the wisdom of the culture
of their ancestors due to the teachings of Justin Martyr and Clement. Justin,
for example, stated that there were many points of contact between Christianity
and pagan philosophy. Clement went as far as divinizing this philosophy by
saying that the Greeks were given philosophy by God in the same way that God
gave the Mosaic Law to the Jews. Further, Clement went on to say that the
Mosaic Law and Greek philosophy sought to find the ultimate truth, which was
now fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Justin and Clement’s view would be shared later by the brilliant St. Augustine
who, according to Alister McGrath, stated that it was, “possible to extract all
that is good in philosophy, and put it to the service of preaching the Gospel”
(Historical Theology, p. 92). McGrath would go on to say that
Augustine used the analogy of the Hebrews leaving Egypt as they, “left behind
their burdens, yet carried off the treasures of their former oppressors.” In
other words, as long as the wisdom leads the believer to Jesus Christ it is
indeed something that should be valued by the Church.
In conclusion, one would have to wonder how the Spanish missionaries could have
used the teachings of Nezahualpilli to better deal with the indigenous people.
Considering the fact that Nezahualpilli had teachings that complimented
Christianity and with the fact that he prophesized their coming, Spain could’ve
used these ideas and prediction to show God’s hand in their arrival and if they
recognized the role they were playing the plan of Providence then maybe they
would have understood the responsibility they bore to be authentic
representatives of the Church. Unfortunately that did not happen. However, with
the number of missionaries that are still circling the earth that are more
aware of the ideas and beliefs of the various cultures that they are
encountering perhaps we’ll see more effective methods of evangelization.
However, that cannot happen unless people are willing to accept the fact that
all races of people have a wisdom to share that should at least be studied and
tested in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ before dismissing them.
Carlos Solorzano
- BA & MA in Religious Studies from Cal State Long Beach
- Certified through the Theology of the Body Institute
- Speaker with Catholic Speakers Organization
Sources
- Bergant, Diane & Karris, Robert J. (editors) Collegeville Bible Dictionary The Liturgical Press Collegeville, MN 1989 (p. 1092)
- Brown, Raymond. Introduction to the New Testament Doubleday 1997 (p. 566)
- Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity Volume One: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation. Harper San Francisco 1984 (p. 54)
- McGrath, Alister. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought Blackwell Publishers 1998 (p. 92)
- May, Francis (Editor). A Handbook on Guadalupe: Juan Diego Ambassador of the Queen of Heaven by: Dr. Charles Wahlig Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate 1997 (pgs. 44-45)
- https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/298-nezahualcoyotl-texcoco-s-philosopher-king-1403%e2%80%931473
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