TRUTH HIDDEN IN OUR EYES

By Ph.D Ven. Stephen Adedotun Adesanya

The Bible tells us that we were created in the image of God and that we can respond in love to His love and to reflect his very character and nature. In our care for the environment and for each other, forgiving one another, we are then reflecting the nature of God, and this is the very nature among others that we can see showing the presence of

• Language: English
• Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing
• Release date: Feb 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798888872482

Ph.D Ven. Stephen Adedotun Adesanya

Venerable Stephen Adédọtun Adésànyà, Ph.D, an archdeacon emeritus, is a wellknown voice, teacher and an avid writer who has written extensively in the area of Pastoral Psychology, Care, and Counselling. He was ordained in Ijebu diocese in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). He lectured at Archbishop Vining College of Theology, Akure, Nigeria and later served in the Church of England dioceses of Southwark, Ripon & Leeds and in Lancashire until his retirement from full-time incumbency. He presently holds PTO in The Diocese of Liverpool.Stephen is the author of numerous books including, The Caring God; The Sexes under God; A Useful Visit; A New Understanding; Marriage is a Nest not a Net; Your Manifestation of Purpose; A Shepherd's Journey; and Fragmented yet One. He is particularly interested in how Christian discipleship clarifies social justice for the present age. His aim is to support diverse ministries for the attainment of social justice based on the Gospel. He presently curates' relational experiences and presence via God's world sharing talents for renewal with those in the crossroads of deprivation, perseverance, restoration and exploring counselling and theological understanding as platform for cross-cultural dialogue.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 by Ven. Stephen Adedotun Adesanya, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Westwood Books Publishing LLC

Atlanta Financial Center

3343 Peachtree Rd NE Ste 145-725

Atlanta, GA 30326

www.westwoodbookspublishing.com

Dedication

Reflects human relationships where true religion is in pursuit of social justice, mutual respect, and fulfilment; this book is for those who aspire…

Publications by Stephen Adédọ̀tun Adésànyà

1. The Caring God (1998)

2. The Sexes Under God (2000)

3. A Useful Visit (2001)

4. A New Understanding (2003)

5. Marriage is a Nest not Net (2005)

6. Your Manifestation of Purpose (2007)

7. A Shepherd’s Journey (2012)

8. Fragmented Yet One (2014, 2022)

Contents

Preface 

1. Those Who Ask 

2. What of Jesus? 

3. A False Sense of Privilege 

4. Tainted Mirrors 

5. A Search for Justice 

6. Eyes Lifted to the Hill 

7. The Ravaging Storm 

8. A Touching Distance 

9. Hands on the Plough 

10. Truth in Your Eyes 

11. Standing to be Counted 

12. Together We Smile 

13. CORVID NOTES 

14. The Silent Market 

15. Whose Image? 

Glossary 

References 

Comments from Readers

Truth Hidden in our Eyes: Dr Stephen’s beautiful book is rooted in spirituality and counselling psychology, and it can help each of us to grow into being truly human. - Borka Nuttall

Truth Hidden in our Eyes: Dr. Adesanya has challenged us to sincerely examine ‘who it is, we have become, over the years in our religious pursuit’ – Nikola Stephens

There was so much to think about in Truth Hidden in Our Eyes, and it all led to the directive that we should ‘root our lives in God’s love – Christine Shore

Ven. Stephen Adédọ̀tun Adésànyà, Ph. D

Preface

Human relationships can be wonderful and at the same time may be fraught with challenges especially with people whose intentions were unknown. Unhealthy human relationships may lead to frictions and a collapse of human bridges, thereby inhibiting peaceful coexistence. Whereas honest friendships and due understanding creates joy, peace and loving interactions that makes earthly developments glow in the presence of God.

There was a mild drama when an elderly man in his eighties, dramatically stood up in a pub to announce with glee, an offer to sell his entire neighbourhood, according to him, because no one cared enough about him. No one in the pub took him serious as everyone laughed. Firstly, he did not have the authority to put his neighbourhood up for sale. Secondly, he was only a tenant in the area. The man complained of having been badly treated by certain personalities and for poor interpersonal relationships.

There was the example of Olufeah who has become an expert at complaining and speaking only to himself. He lost the art of listening since he was made redundant at work a few years ago. There was also the case of Haulemy who was kidnapped along with her husband when they travelled overseas but unfortunately, she was the only person released alive after three weeks in captivity following the payment of a ransom. Alonah was a farmer who struggled to educate his two graduate children, and four years after the last child left the University, none of them were gainfully employed. Meanwhile Aggrey who owned the local grocery shop recently became a millionaire, by winning the Pacific Lottery Jackpot for the second time. Each community has its own share of challenges, and joyful moments and the goal of leadership is to maintain social justice, development and community cohesion. What are the roles of religiosity, security, equity, communication and governance in all these?

Why has trust broken down? What parameters are essential to re-establish the foundations of governance and legislate for a new association rather than allow for insecurity. Why did some communities condone impunity from those in government? Is it too much for a society to expect a religious life to show love and respect to other members of the created world? This book has investigated the factors that can help us renew the contract between true religion, human development, and social justice in the context of who we are meant to be in the world.

Ven. S. A. Adésànyà, Ph.D

Liverpool, UK.

November 2022

CHAPTER 1

Those Who Ask

I woke up to the sight of drizzling rain and the background scenery of the sun stealing a glance through the curtain of a dark skyline bemused me. Hurry up for there is barely ten more minutes left to catch the first shuttle; the bus stop is just a block away from our home. The bus takes less than half an hour from the Strand to Liverpool One bus station from where Meyep was scheduled to take an early coach ride to London Victoria station. Nothing should make her loose the appointment with the European Unigem Plc in London where she hoped to complete her employment documentation formalities which was initiated two weeks earlier. Things work faster in some areas than others, her husband mused. Despite the time constraint Meyep wanted to have a short devotion before she travelled out of the house. She is always so devout and fervent about her prayer life which over the years has not only won her a husband but won her a husband who respects her spiritual convictions; always talking about the extra-ordinary God that we have in Jesus Christ. Surely hers is not an intellectual theorem to describe a circumstantial conclusion. Her conviction like lots of other evangelists is about relating with other people’s understanding, those experiences they hold so dear, and which are significant to them. It is in connecting those chains of other people’s experiments and their understanding of the events of living around them, which cannot be brushed off as fantasies or illusory that has now created a hope in them. When Peter the apostle in 1Peter 3:15 (NIV) says,

¹⁵ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect’,

Peter the apostle was saying in essence that come on, your response will make an impact, in word and deed, give the reason for the hope you hold so dear. He is saying, when someone asks you about your faith, do not shy away, render a confident answer and a reason for such hope as you might have. Peter is saying that your conduct and relationships matter when you are in a hostile environment and that persecution might be reduced or eliminated when you make the best possible impression on those around you who are not yet sharing your faith and thereby win more converts. In other words, Peter reminds us that holy living must come along with holy and decent speech. It might be impossible for the world to be blind to the salvation of God from our charitable deeds, but until we have shared the Gospel with them, it may be difficult to understand the way of salvation. We do not have to be like the so-called river that is frozen at the mouth. This apologetics also known to some as sharing a testimony which is an outflow of Christian hope, though persuasive about the gospel can touch hearts and transform through the power of the Holy Spirit. One thing I have observed even in doing this is that we all need to learn how to learn from each other and how to ask questions from one another.

As a bridge, one who was born and raised in Africa till my teenage years and then lived in Europe, across many countries for most of my adult life, I am often at a loss to the many lost opportunities people have allowed, even when that was not their intention. Anyone may like to ascribe this loss of precious opportunity to cultural gaps, but I dare to say this might rather be due to ignorance as to what is intended by the other party and the motive for their questions. For the sake of simplicity, I will mention an example about the recent crisis in the Anglican Communion which affected not just a Lambeth Conference but significantly strained relations and pitched the churches between the global north and south against each other. The African party who held Anglicanism so dear to their hearts often forget that administration of their Synod has entrenched African cultural ways of doing things, which were not challenged down south because they were culturally accepted. On the other hand, the English church is concerned about doing things according to the Law, the provisions of which the Westminster parliament and the courts can always be the final arbiter.

Our method of communicating is also quite different, an African may go straight to the point and be boisterous with even a degree of loud excitement. Whereas the European could keep silent in the face of aggressive probing or a complete shutdown which is neither an indication of guilt nor weakness, but it often infers anger and withdrawal for it could be derogatory to be involved in a shouting match. That is an example of a cultural difference. The main crux of the matter is that while the Anglican world agrees that Episcopal leadership is with laity and clergy, in other words that leadership of the Anglican Church is synodical, yet the African version which is derived from culture is that the episcopacy is assertive, as a mark of authority that the bishop is the soul of a Synod. Meanwhile being assertive is subject to different definitions between the geographic regions. The emergence of the Anglican Consultative Conference is to enable the Lambeth Conference in the 20th century to uphold the synodical nature where the Archbishop of Canterbury could remain first among equals without any power of coercion or any equivalence to papal dictatorship.

How then do we ask a question that leads to somewhere positive within a multicultural party? How can we, as a church, move forward together in the light of cultural differences and misunderstanding that we have between us? It is correct to assume that some folks are adept in shutting down conversations that they are not comfortable about, the humility that we bring into these types of questions can in no doubt help bring our conversations to a fruitful consideration. We have many Scriptural examples of how God has entered history as a person to enable us to know this positive way of leading a conversation. As a people who preach about a God that is Love, we cannot but agree that without freedom, there can be no love. God gave us the freedom of choice; how can we not respect the freedom of others? Surely love would not be love, if people were compelled exactly how to believe. St Ambrose (c340-397), the Bishop of Milan and biblical critic who was made a bishop by acclamation, before he was even baptised would not allow us to forget this order of things when he sang the hymn: ‘Jesus, Lord of heavenly grace’

Wherever across the world, no matter the people’s socio-economic status, this world is full of people who are suffering or in agony, people who are gravely wounded yet could not heal themselves and they still have God in Jesus with them on the cross, sharing their pain and loving them. Quash (2018) among others asserts that salvation shows the imagery of the faith, affirming that coming face to face with God is the goal of salvation. Our face, though we own it, yet it is more available to others than to ourselves. By your face you become more particularly ‘you’ to others. This relational model opines that the whole of life is enfolded in Christ and all the blessings we receive from Christ are re-enfolded into God. We affirm in our relationships with each other, that Jesus, who was born into the poverty of a manger, is the one who came to save the world and that He is the saviour of the world.

CHAPTER 2

What of Jesus?

The birth of Jesus is in most places celebrated as the season, when everything comes shining, when we look at the cold spell forgetting the time when the leaves turned golden and started dropping, with autumn having turned into winter. We do know that God was in the least surprised in that for Luke 2.6 says,

‘’while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born’’

We might be surprised, even Mary and Joseph might be surprised by unexpected developments, but God is never surprised, not even by an unexpected birth for He has made all the arrangements for the birth of Jesus. How would you react, if you realised God was not surprised by some unexpected events of your life that looked like tragedy to you and that he is working towards a reliable resolution of such issues? Human timeframes cannot affect God’s power to fulfil His will. God’s usage of time is never conditioned by the limited human knowledge of time, for a thousand years with us is like a minute with God.

In the Gospel according to Luke 2.7 (NRSV) says,

‘And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them’.

There is a need to compare the NRSV Bible with the AV Bible to help us have some clarity from the very beginning of our discourse for Luke 2.7 (AV) says,

‘And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn’.

In this verse the term translated as ‘Inn’ is ‘Kataluma’ which is the same as used for the ‘large upper chamber’ of the Last Supper. The word ‘Inn’ should be translated as ‘Pandokheion’ which is a place that receives all. ‘Ouk en topos’ translated as ‘there was no room’; could the translation of that verse easily have been ‘the guest room was no place for giving birth’? That is the reason the usage of the word ‘topos’ is significant here. Unlike the AV Bible which gave us the impression that there was no space for them in the guest room or Kataluma by saying ‘No room for them in the Inn, meanwhile other Bible versions such as NRSV or RSV stated it more succinctly saying ‘no place for them’. This could have been a more accurate description of the scenario or the concern that there was no suitable place for a birth.

The understanding of the word ‘Topos’ has significantly established for us the place of the ‘manger’ in the nativity story. Bailey (2008) established the fact that there was no space in the guestroom, therefore Mary and Joseph were welcomed into the main living room which would have been the upper floor where the family lived, and the lower floor was often reserved for the animals to be brought in at night to save them from environmental hazards and for them to keep warm. The manger that is ‘Phatne’ is often situated in between the two floors. Bailey has concluded that Jesus was born in relative comfort in a main family room of the house and not in a guest room which implied that Jesus birth took place among the common people and for all people of the world.

Moreover, excavations of the first century buildings in the Holy Land have shown that an animal house or manger were located at the centre of the house and not simply an outhouse but a place where the animals would enjoy warmth. A manger would therefore be a quiet and warm place which was good enough for a young woman to give birth. On the other hand, let us assume for a moment that because they were excluded from the family when Mary gave birth to her baby in the manger would she then not be representative of all the refugees or