The limitation of knowledge
Without a doubt our current Christian society worships an idol of easy-aswerism. We want nuggets of wisdom, checklists and steps toward spiritual maturity. We need them packaged for our consumption in a way that is interesting, entertaining, low-maintenance and, if possible, relevant. It does not matter whether our latest easy-answer-god lasts for long or not. With the rise of the internet and the proliferation of published products we have many gods from which to choose.
That's the lure of the WWJD-Purpose-Driven Prayer of Jabez. Some teeth-perfectly-straightened smiling face of the author on the back of the book ... the author is dressed sharply and has not one stray hair. A couple of ringing endorsements from other published authors who are likewise devoid of vocational aptitude. A crisis that is tailored to you as a person and solved by a half dozen intellectually-suspect Scriptural principles. That is a best seller. For this week. Next week it is on the sale rack. A month from now it is clearance. A year from now you can only find in through CBD.
At the base of much, if not most, if not all, of this nonsense is the false belief that we can actually wrap our minds around much, if not most, if not all, of God's plan and work in our life, in our setting and on our planet. We operate, educate and replicate the paradigm that our understanding is as big as God's options.
Once confronted with the truth, we are quick to become correctly humble and offer up the politically acceptable disclaimer that we are "wrong to ever put God in a box." But if we are sincere about that sentiment, then the best we probably can muster is to get a bigger box for God to be in. And if we are not sincere, then we are the religious leaders that Jesus confronted all during his earthly ministry. We have kidnapped Christ and re-made the religion into our servant.
It is time to borrow from Donald Rumsfeld. His famous analogy about military intelligence will serve us well here. I think I have it right when I relate that DR said there were several categories of military intelligence:
1. Known knowns. Those things we know that we know.
2. Known unknowns. Those things that we know that we do not know.
3. Unknown unknowns. Those things about which we have not a clue.
Please do not consider your understanding of God to ever be solely in one of these categories. But never consider that God does not occupy all three categories.
Known knowns are those things we know about God, definitively. Such as, God is love.
Known unknowns are those things we know that we do not know about God. Such as, when does God stop pursuing a soul to return to Him? And, what is the width and breadth of the love that God is?
Unknown unknowns abound. Get comfortable with it and see how it changes the way you read Scriptures. I think whenever you are considering or meditating about a spiritual issue, you must include what I will call the Yahweh Factor. The Yahweh Factor is the accounting for the reality that we cannot possibly fathom God. We can only hope to nurse on the simple things and chew on the meatier things. We will never, ever, ever master enough knowledge to surround God's options in any given situation.
Let's take an easy example. The simple faith says that God answers prayer in one of three ways: yes, no, wait. Yawn. That is trite and simplistic. Such a mantra takes the responsibility off of the petitioner. You must at least expand the possibilities to include the fact that God - being infinitely clever and ever innovative - can design an answer to your prayer that you cannot, definitionally, understand or predict. So God can answer prayer in at least four ways: yes, no, wait and the Yahweh Factor. Hmmm. This example is too easy.
What's a tougher example? Something closer to a real easy-answer-god? Oh, how about whether faith without works is really dead? Dead as in "not sufficient for salvation"? Maybe. Most people put an incredible limitation on the scope of that part of James because they cannot imagine that works can play a part in salvation because, after all, how can you possibly earn salvation by works? It is by grace alone, right?
Well, I would like to agree ... but there are 3 reasons I have to allow that I could be mistaken. 1) James says what James says, 2) many other examples of faith are given in terms of tangible action, and 3) the Yahweh Factor says that I cannot understand all of the options available to God in this particular situation.
What's an even tougher example? How is it that God can love me when He knows me as well (or better) than I know me? How is it and why is it that God, as C S Lewis puts it, "stoops to conquer"? He has to love in ways that I cannot even fathom, let alone attribute, let alone model.
So, the Yahweh Factor is a part of my thinking on these matters and it allows me to read the Bible with less fuss and confusion and, more importantly, keeps me focused on living out the known knowns without a bunch of mental gymnastics trying to get my mind around things that are too "wonderful" for me.
Consider the lillies. Consider the sparrow. God is love.
That's the lure of the WWJD-Purpose-Driven Prayer of Jabez. Some teeth-perfectly-straightened smiling face of the author on the back of the book ... the author is dressed sharply and has not one stray hair. A couple of ringing endorsements from other published authors who are likewise devoid of vocational aptitude. A crisis that is tailored to you as a person and solved by a half dozen intellectually-suspect Scriptural principles. That is a best seller. For this week. Next week it is on the sale rack. A month from now it is clearance. A year from now you can only find in through CBD.
At the base of much, if not most, if not all, of this nonsense is the false belief that we can actually wrap our minds around much, if not most, if not all, of God's plan and work in our life, in our setting and on our planet. We operate, educate and replicate the paradigm that our understanding is as big as God's options.
Once confronted with the truth, we are quick to become correctly humble and offer up the politically acceptable disclaimer that we are "wrong to ever put God in a box." But if we are sincere about that sentiment, then the best we probably can muster is to get a bigger box for God to be in. And if we are not sincere, then we are the religious leaders that Jesus confronted all during his earthly ministry. We have kidnapped Christ and re-made the religion into our servant.
It is time to borrow from Donald Rumsfeld. His famous analogy about military intelligence will serve us well here. I think I have it right when I relate that DR said there were several categories of military intelligence:
1. Known knowns. Those things we know that we know.
2. Known unknowns. Those things that we know that we do not know.
3. Unknown unknowns. Those things about which we have not a clue.
Please do not consider your understanding of God to ever be solely in one of these categories. But never consider that God does not occupy all three categories.
Known knowns are those things we know about God, definitively. Such as, God is love.
Known unknowns are those things we know that we do not know about God. Such as, when does God stop pursuing a soul to return to Him? And, what is the width and breadth of the love that God is?
Unknown unknowns abound. Get comfortable with it and see how it changes the way you read Scriptures. I think whenever you are considering or meditating about a spiritual issue, you must include what I will call the Yahweh Factor. The Yahweh Factor is the accounting for the reality that we cannot possibly fathom God. We can only hope to nurse on the simple things and chew on the meatier things. We will never, ever, ever master enough knowledge to surround God's options in any given situation.
Let's take an easy example. The simple faith says that God answers prayer in one of three ways: yes, no, wait. Yawn. That is trite and simplistic. Such a mantra takes the responsibility off of the petitioner. You must at least expand the possibilities to include the fact that God - being infinitely clever and ever innovative - can design an answer to your prayer that you cannot, definitionally, understand or predict. So God can answer prayer in at least four ways: yes, no, wait and the Yahweh Factor. Hmmm. This example is too easy.
What's a tougher example? Something closer to a real easy-answer-god? Oh, how about whether faith without works is really dead? Dead as in "not sufficient for salvation"? Maybe. Most people put an incredible limitation on the scope of that part of James because they cannot imagine that works can play a part in salvation because, after all, how can you possibly earn salvation by works? It is by grace alone, right?
Well, I would like to agree ... but there are 3 reasons I have to allow that I could be mistaken. 1) James says what James says, 2) many other examples of faith are given in terms of tangible action, and 3) the Yahweh Factor says that I cannot understand all of the options available to God in this particular situation.
What's an even tougher example? How is it that God can love me when He knows me as well (or better) than I know me? How is it and why is it that God, as C S Lewis puts it, "stoops to conquer"? He has to love in ways that I cannot even fathom, let alone attribute, let alone model.
So, the Yahweh Factor is a part of my thinking on these matters and it allows me to read the Bible with less fuss and confusion and, more importantly, keeps me focused on living out the known knowns without a bunch of mental gymnastics trying to get my mind around things that are too "wonderful" for me.
Consider the lillies. Consider the sparrow. God is love.
posted by TT | 9:24 PM
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