Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us. ~Dallas Willard
Dallas Willard, renowned theologian and scholar, breathed his last mortal breath on Wednesday and woke up to beauty no words can describe.
And he was a man of words.
Dallas Willard’s writing, like strong lenses for lazy spiritual eyes, sharpened and shaped my view of God and the Bible in ways few authors have. His thoughts were not easy to follow–Willard wrote like the brilliant professor he was. But his books are worth a wade. In tribute to this great saint, I give you a taste of the joy Dallas Willard glimpsed from afar and now feasts upon forever. From The Divine Conspiracy:
Dallas Willard: Our God-Bathed World
“God leads a very interesting life, and he is full of joy. Undoubtedly he is the most joyous being in the universe. The abundance of his love and generosity is inseparable from his infinite joy. All of the good and beautiful things from which we occasionally drink tiny droplets of soul-exhilarating joy, God continuously experiences in all their breadth and depth and richness.
“While I was teaching in South Africa some time ago, a young man took me out to see the beaches near his home in Port Elizabeth. I was totally unprepared for the experience. I had seen beaches, or so I thought. But when we came over the rise where the sea and land opened up to us, I stood in stunned silence and then slowly walked toward the waves. Words cannot capture the view that confronted me. I saw space and light and texture and color and power…that seemed hardly of this earth.
“Gradually there crept into my mind the realization that God sees this all the time. He sees it, experiences it, knows it from every possible point of view, this and billions of other scenes like and unlike it, in this and billions of other worlds. Great tidal waves of joy must constantly wash through his being.
“It is perhaps strange to say, but suddenly I was extremely happy for God and thought I had some sense of what an infinitely joyous consciousness he is and of what it might have meant for him to look at his creation and find it ‘very good’ (p. 62-63).”
There was no room in Dallas Willard’s theology for a miserly, vindictive or petty kind of god. His hope was anchored in Jesus Christ, who demonstrated once and for all, “the fondness, the endearment, the unstintingly affectionate regard of God toward all his creatures.” Including you.
Is there one particular author who has shaped your understanding of God?
Photograph by Melanie Hunt
17 replies on “What Dallas Willard Knew: Our God-Bathed World”
Wonderful…I WILL go back and read DC….now to find it in my boxes!
Like a box of chocolates, savor it a bit at a time, Deb!
That book (really three books in one) changed forever the trajectory of my theological and spiritual life.
Agreed!
To pick one author is like choosing my favorite child!
It is easier to pick a favorite child .. since I was blessed with just one!
I have been blessed with more than one author.
Drum roll ..
The winner is! .. Beth Moore!
I have had very deep healing come from Beth Moore’s books and rich bible studies.
Ginny, you should let her know, if you haven’t!
I wholeheartedly concur, Janet. Dallas’ words eternally changed my view. I vividly remember reading “The Divine Conspiracy” on a flight to New York. He was talking about Jesus and the often chosen perspective that Jesus would not be the first on our invite list to a dinner party. His words do often cause me to examine my adopted views. And after some soul reflection, I had to admit he was right. I have called Jesus my Savior and yet I didn’t seem Him exciting or interesting enough to have at a dinner party. Dallas’ writing will challenge but then they encourage. He went on to say that having a guy who was brilliant enough to change water into wine could certainly hold His own at any table (my paraphrase.) I look forward to one day saying thank to him for the many ways he has mentored and discipled me.
I loved that part to, Rebecca. The realization that Jesus was the most brilliant and interesting man who ever walked this earth caused me to read the gospels with new eyes.
“Strong lenses for lazy spiritual eyes”…words that come together perfectly to describe that which we all need! Thank you Janet for the motivation to seek out his writing! To live a life in search of those corrective lenses…
A worthy goal, Judi!
I LOVE Dallas Willard. And you’re right, Janet – he is not always easy to read. I found that true when I heard him speak a few years ago, too. His brilliant insights were so profound and densely compacted that I couldn’t easily listen to it all. I have also been profoundly impacted by one of his closest disciples – John Ortberg. John calls his writings “Dallas Willard for dummies”. I find that I often feel like a dummy or a beginner about spiritual things, so John’s approach to Dallas, and both of their approaches to a relationship with God have deeply affected me and helped me love God even more. Thanks for today’s post!
Linda, another “disciple” of Willard’s, James Bryan Smith, also makes Willard’s wisdom more accessible to end-of-a-long-day tired brains! Thanks for mentioning Ortberg–a prolific and helpful writer.
I was rereading Stillmeadow Road for the umnteepth time, and decided to go online to look for some sites about Gladys Taber and and her life. I found your site and was so surprised! I have three of YOUR cookbooks and have always loved them. I had found one in a bookstore and told my neighbor at the time (Santa Cruz, late 80 s) who told me she had been a good friend of yours. Her first name is Karen, and sadly, we have lost touch. That is only part of this story, however. I have read GLadys Taber books since 1962 when I was 13 years old. I came across several in my town’s library and sat down on the floor right there, and began reading. There was something so reassuring to me in her writings. I had just lost my mother, and my home. I loved those books! I continue to read them off and on, still loving them. It is like going home as there are so many favorite passages that I revisit. Anyway, it was so amazing to me today to discover that you, a favorite cookbook writer, also loved Gladys Taber’s books! But then, that only makes sense! I guess I shouldn’t be amazed at all!
Thank you for sharing this Janet.. He has left us with so much to ponder…..
You’re welcome, Randy. I thought of you when I typed out the description of the beach!
Your blog encouraged me to dust off the copy you gave me years ago and try again to read/understand Willard. Perhaps a page a day even. Pray for good digestion!
Brennan Manning has been my shaper of thought on God!
Lily, good luck! And thumbs up to Brennan Manning–another huge loss to the world.