When one talks with Concordia College President Tilahun Mendedo, one sees a living example of Christianity through the eyes of the social gospel.

He speaks often of community and unity. His actions, joining other Concordians together for graduate programs to come to Selma; working with the city and other colleges in the area, living his belief.

In a recent interview, Mendedo, who is the seventh president of the Lutheran-based college, discussed passages of scripture that meant a great deal to him.

“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge,” Mendedo said of one passage from Proverbs 1:7.

And what is the fear of God?

“We need a society that fears God. We need families that fear God. We need students that fear God. A Godless society? We know that from history. It is only a godless society,” the college president said shaking his head.

He also loves the promise and gift of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son; that whosever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Mendedo talks of Christianity as a privilege, and of celebrating that gift that gives Christians the privilege this coming Advent and Christmas.

But it is also the selection of the Gospel of John that intrigues one, but does not surprise.

Mendedo is an intellectual. The Gospel by its esoteric nature and its firm ground in Platonic philosophy is attractive to many intellectuals.

He discusses the beginning of the gospel in which the writer states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God.” Mendedo uses the Greek.

The original word used by the Greeks for Word is Logos. The Gospel of John identifies all that is made as divine or theos. At this particular time in history, Judaism was under Hellenistic influence; so Jewish philosophers adapted the term.

It is believed here that Christians, some scholars say, were so influenced by the Greeks they related the Word to Jesus and God as Father and Son, but one in being.

It appears the college president agrees with them, as he would because Christians who profess belief in the trinity consider this passage a central text.

John identifies the Logos with Jesus: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

Mendedo explains that in that one sentence the writer of the gospel goes all the way back to Genesis — to the beginning. “That is the beginning of everything; God himself.”