It is said that at the University of Chicago Divinity
School each year they have what is called "Baptist
Day." On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be
eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every
"Baptist Day" the school would invite one of
the greatest minds to lecture in the theological
education center. The story is that one year they invited
Dr. Paul Tillich.
Dr. Tillich spoke for two and one-half hours
"proving" that the resurrection of Jesus was
false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after
book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as
the historical resurrection the religious tradition of
the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because
it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who,
in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense.
He then asked if there were any questions. After about 30
seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of
short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of
the auditorium.
"Docta Tillich, I got one question," he said as
all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack
lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it.
"Docta Tillich"... CRUNCH, MUNCH... "My
question is a simple question," CRUNCH, MUNCH.
"Now, I ain't never read them books you
read..." CRUNCH, MUNCH "...and I can't recite
the Scriptures in the original Greek" ...CRUNCH,
MUNCH ..." I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and
Heidegger"... CRUNCH, MUNCH...
He finished the apple.
"All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate------was
it bitter or sweet?"
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary
scholarly fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that
question, for I haven't tasted your apple."
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple
into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and
said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my
Jesus."
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain
themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and
cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly
left the platform.
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