Jesus. Of course! (I do not need to elaborate on this since this whole blog of mine is my attempt to approximate Jesus' life and ministry and incorporate this to my pilgrimage and reflections.) Seriously though, after Jesus, both in his manhood and divinity, I follow a few authors, writers, artists, and musicians.
Henri J. Nouwen is the one I consider to be my foremost teacher and mentor. I probably have all of his books. Some of his books I have read several times. I make it a point to re-read one of his books at least once a year. He is a Catholic priest, writer, counselor, and Christian theologian. His work among the physically and emotionally handicapped people is a great demonstration of God's love and healing for all of humanity.
Paul G. Hiebert is one of the leading theologian and missiologist in America. I have most of his books and articles. I did not really know him personally, but has followed his life and teaching. His passion for contextual theology and cultural relevance are some of the stuff that drives me in my work as a seminary teacher and student of the Bible. I agree with many of the issues he proposes in the area of "Gospel, Culture, and Church." His latest work on"Worldview" have given me inspiration and encouragement to write more on the area of missiology and missional church.
Other authors I admire are Leo Tolstoy, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Howard A. Snyder. From time to time, I make it a point to read one of their works within a given year. There are other authors of course, but these are the few that I follow.
I have a deep fascination for the work of the songwriter Paul Simon. His songs, music, and poetry reveal the depth of human wisdom and sensitivity. I have all of his albums in my music library. With a guitar or piano, I can sing a bunch of Paul Simon songs to anyone who would like to listen for an hour, even two.
Others songwriters and musicians that I appreciate are Bono of U2, Joey Ayala (a Filipino songwriter), Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay, Rich Mullins, Michael Card, Eva Cassidy, Natalie Merchant, and the piano player, George Winston. Their art work speaks of the beauty of life and the many wonders of God's creation.