As humans we are inquisitive creatures. We desire to learn and to dissect. This is natural. Even encouraged. However, there is one plain we must curb (temper) this nature, and that is in regards to our Lord God. The truth is we see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12), and only the Almighty can see the full picture. When we begin to judge God or his ways, making claims, “God is unjust,” or “why did he allow,” we’ve stepped into dangerous dissection. To quote Wordsworth, “we murder to dissect,” which meant that rather than observe a frog and learn from it via relationship, we cut it to pieces and look inside, but then the Frog is dead. We do the same to God in houses of theology and seminary, we try to dissect God and his ways, and end up murdering our relationship with God, hence was Jesus says, “Nevertheless I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen and repent and do the first works (love God and love others), or else I will come unto you quickly and will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent.,” (Revelation 2:4-5). But it is not just in the schools of religion that we murder and dissect our Lord, it happens in life when something happens we don’t approve of, or that goes against our reasonings. Ironic because our reasoning is tainted by sin, we see as the apostle said “darkly,” and yet we presume to judge God’s goodness and decisions when we are mostly blind?!
There is one tradition in the Eastern Church I respect. I disagree fundamentally with their Soteriology and asceticism (as does The Holy Bible), but there is one teaching worth merit, it goes like this, “Mysterione, God’s ways are higher than our ways, we accept we do not fully understand, that God is God, and in His infinite wisdom we fall short, so we accept the mystery, and let what we don’t understand be for God to understand and trust Him and his wisdom; if we are meant to know it He will reveal it to us, if not, so be it.” (From a compilation of teachings I’ve read). I shorten this by saying “Let God be God.” Stop scrutinizing The Holy Trinity like a frog to dissect and bask in the wonder! That which we comprehend such as who God is, what He has done for us on the cross, and more we can celebrate, that which is a mystery to us we also should celebrate! In a relationship with another person do we expect to understand all they do or expect there is no mystery left, unseen page of their history or self, of course not! Part of the spice of a relationship is that little pearls or pieces you didn’t know about the person becomes revealed over time. If we afford this to people, why not God our Savior? If we do not understand why our spouse, friend, family member, or even why we ourselves are doing what we are doing, why do we expect to understand why God does something or not? Why do we put a standard on our Creator we do not even hold on ourselves the Creation? Why can’t we let God be God, that is accept we won’t always understand his ways, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts..” (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is indeed our Husband, Father, and Closest Friend, but also the Ancient of Days and Almighty God who knows all, in whom all the riches of wisdom and knowledge dwell, “know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3). Lets stop being like Lucifer, and let God be God, and trust Him, keep learning and relating, but also accepting when we do not understand that God has the right and privilege to not explain it, and even if He did we might be unable to grasp it. Amen.
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