Anselm was a 12th century theologian and philosopher.  He is credited most with his ontological argument for the existence of God, and for taking basic Christian thoughts, and worked to frame them in such a way that the revealed truth of those tenets could be reasoned out in rational argumentation.

He was a thinker.

Which, is probably why I like him.  Not necessarily his conclusions; and, admittedly, I’ve ready just a small, tiny microcosm of the expanse volume he produced.  He was verbose–yet another reason why I like this dead guy.

But I think what I like most is that, in his pull to reasoning and rational thought with his mind about who Christ is, he never seemed to lose need to be loved, by God, and the need to love God as well.

And, he was honest.  He was honest in his argumentation and structured reasoning and refutations, but he was also honest in his words, to God, as we see in this prayer below.

Who can’t help but love the soul who is willing to express that which we all–at least, many of us–find ourselves pulled to express to our God?

“You are my God and you are my All and I have never seen you….I cannot seek you unless you teach me, or find you unless you show yourself to me.”

Yes.  Amen.

O my God teach my heart where and how to seek you,
where and how to find you…

You are my God and you are my All and I have never seen you.
You have made me and remade me,
You have bestowed on me all the good things I possess,
Still I do not know you…

I have not yet done that for which I was made….
Teach me to seek you…

I cannot seek you unless you teach me
or find you unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire, let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you, let me love you when I find you.

~Anselm of Canterbury