“Why is There Not This Hour an End of My Uncleaness”

Ecclesiastes 11

9 But know this…

There is enormous ignorance about Who’s Who in Africa. When the question was recently asked by a media group as to “Who was the greatest African?”, the answer was “Robert Mugabe”. Of all those who participated in the survey none seem to think back more than a generation or two. Most only knew the names of dictators (whom they look upon as heroes) or sports stars. No-one remembered that the African who had the greatest and the longest lasting influence is a man born in AD 354, in Tagaste, in an area known today as Algeria. His mother, Monica, was a true believer but young Augustine didn’t want to make a clear decision to follow the Lord. His father was a pagan with the humanist ideas of the day. Augustine tried to “mix” things in his youth because, although he was impressed with Christianity he was magnetized by the attractions of the world. He experienced great conflicts of conscience.

At one time, knowing that his life should be sexually pure like his mother taught him, but being drawn by earthly delights, he prayed: “God make me chaste but not right now.” In other words he wanted to be sexually pure but not at that very moment. But the world offered him no satisfaction, despite material and academic success, and various mistresses.

Finally, in the yard of his house, exhausted and despairing, he burst into tears, crying, “How long, how long? Tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why is there not this hour an end of my uncleanness?” In that state he heard a little girl’s voice singing “Go and read, go and read.” He ran into the house and, opening his Bible,  his eyes fell on the 13th verse of the 13th chapter of Romans: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh.” The shackles were burst, he was “born again” and “free in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” He never returned to his life of sin.

Augustine wrote 242 books (many of them are still being reprinted today, such as “Confessions” and “City of God”. His life was such a blessing to the church that he, in a pre-Roman Catholic church era, became the most highly respected Christian in the worldwide church. He became the Bishop of Hippo and remained in that position for 34 years. He was able to give advice to Christians in a time of great political turmoil. His wisdom helped the church resist heresies of those days. His clarity about the sinful depravity of man, the Trinity, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, was an inspiration of the Reformation leaders such as Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.

His insights into the Bible have moulded Christianity till now.

He has been described by historians as:  “a great sinner who became a great saint” … “the greatest African who ever lived, the keenest mind of the ancient world after Plato and Aristotle, the outstanding genius of the Church and the spearhead of the Protestant Reformation” … and, “the best—if not the very first—psychologist in the ancient world.”

Augustine died in August 430 AD during the Vandal siege of Hippo. Years later, when Mohammed came on the scene in the Middle East, Islam was to brutally kill Christians all over North Africa where Augustine had such tremendous influence. The “religion of the sword” rules in North Africa till today. With Islam has come violence, death, poverty and ignorance.

Augustine teaches us till today, that no matter where we are in life, no matter what we’ve done or how far we’ve strayed, it is never too late to come to the Lord and surrender our hearts and wills to His love and mercy.   “I came to love you late, O Beauty so ancient and so new,” he wrote.   “I came to love you late.  You were within me and I was outside, where I rushed about wildly searching for you like some monster loose in your beautiful world.   You called me, you shouted to me, you broke past my deafness.  You bathed me in your light, wrapped me in your splendour…you touched me and I burned to know your peace.”