A Thought On A Thoughtful Man

Out of a 2017 interview with Eugene Peterson, Carey Nieuwhof wrote an inspiring blog post on what it takes to become the next leader to fill the void left by another great voice in theology and the church. (Read the blog here).

This past Monday, Eugene Peterson passed away at the age of 85 in his Montana home. His work was influential on me, as well as many people around the world; including Bono from the rock band U2 (watch a wonderful short with the two of them talking about the Psalms).

Peterson is best known for The Message Bible, and his lifetime of work and faith in Christian discipleship that included 38 other books and hundreds of articles. Nieuwhof recorded a wonderful podcast with him from which this was discovered:

“I don’t read the newspaper much. I can’t find much about God and Jesus in them.”

Nieuwhof wrote, “Instead, he worked on translating Galatians from Greek to English during the race riots in Baltimore in 1968. Peterson says ordinary citizens arm themselves with guns and weapons, but Peterson said that while people were worried about what was happening in the city, he was worried about what was happening in people. So he brought the Biblical text to them in a fresh translation. That was the origin of the Message.”

I encourage you all to read the post on becoming spiritual leaders like Peterson. And or listen to the podcast which is on CaryNieuwhof.com