De Nieuwe Mens

Aristides, filosoof en schrijver uit de 2e eeuw schreef ooit eens een brief aan keizer Hadrianus van Rome.
Hij had een groep mensen leren kennen. Een groep mensen met een opvallende levensstijl. Mensen die integer waren, onopvallend, mensen die in een gezin woonde van hoge kwaliteit, mensen met een hoog moraal, mensen die goed om konden gaan met stress en tegenslag. Hij noemde ze nieuwe mensen. Mensen die iets goddelijks in zich hadden. In deze tijd werden deze mensen ook wel christenen genoemd, een scheldwoord, een naam die ze later zelf overnamen.

Nieuwsgierig naar de nieuwe mens en hierover doorpraten?
Dat kan op: http://denieuwesamenleving.ning.com/group/denieuwemens

Hier een stukje uit de brief:
Christians observe the divine laws
"Christians bear the divine laws impressed on their hearts and observe them in the hope of a future life. For this reason they do not commit adultery, or fornication; don't bear false witness; don't misappropriate the money they have received on deposit; don't crave for what is not due to them; honour father and mother, do good to their neighbour; and when they are appointed judges, judge rightly.

They don't adore idols in human form; whatever they don't want others do to them, they do not do it to anyone. They don't eat meat offered to the gods, because it is contaminated: Their daughters are pure and keep their virginity and shun prostitution; men abstain from every illegitimate union and from all impurity; likewise their women are chaste, in the hope of the great recompense in the next life...

They are kind and charitable
They help those who offend them, making friends of them; do good to their enemies. They don't adore idols; they are kind, good, modest, sincere, they love one another; don't despise widows; protect the orphans; those who have much give without grumbling, to those in need. When they meet strangers, they invite them to their homes with joy, for they recognise them as true brothers, not natural but spiritual.

When a poor man dies, if they become aware, they contribute according to their means for his funeral; if they come to know that some people are persecuted or sent to prison or condemned for the sake of Christ's name, they put their alms together and send them to those in need. If they can do it, they try to obtain their release. When a slave or a beggar is in need of help, they fast two or three days, and give him the food they had prepared for themselves, because they think that he too should be joyful , as he has been called to be joyful like themselves.

They live in justice and sanctity
They strictly observe the commandments of the Lord, by living in a saintly and right way, as the Lord God has prescribed to them; they give Him thanks each morning and evening for all food and drink and every other thing.
These are, o emperor, their laws; the goods they have to ask God, they ask Him, and so they pass through this world till the end of time; because God has subjected everything to them. Therefore they are grateful to Him, because the whole universe and all creation have been made for them. Surely these people have found truth".