A True Worship (Part 1)

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"For when we cease to worship God, we do not worship nothing, we worship anything." - G. K. Chesterton, an English writer who is famously known as "the prince of paradox."
gospel of john
 A Codex on the Gospel of John
προσκυνέω (proskyneō) is a Greek word, which means 'to worship'. This is one of the words that is translated 'to worship' in the English New Testament of the Bible. Now if we break down the literal translation for this word, we have:

προσ + κυνέω = pros +  kyneō = (in English) toward + 'to kiss' 

The majority believes that this word is derived from an ancient Persian practice recorded by Herodotus, which involved something like "kissing the ground in the direction of the one I reverence or give obeisance to". So 'to worship' here implies not doing something for someone but prostrating oneself to a revered, superior being. 

John 4:23 intrigues me since it mentions concerning the Father seeks those who worship Him in spirit and truthfulness (or, reality). It's not that hard to physically bow down to the ground and give obeisance to someone. Many in history have prostrated themselves before God. Not to belittle this practice at all but the fact that the Father is seeking for those who worship in spirit and truthfulness implies somewhat of an unfulfilled longing, at least existing at the time the Lord Jesus spoke this word. I believe this longing still holds true in the present. Click here for A True Worship (Part 2)

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