Do you think you understand God?
Becky and I enjoy jigsaw puzzles.
Every Christmas our dining room table disappears beneath a jumble of odd shapes. We grumble and fuss and finally celebrate as that last piece completes the picture. The result usually remains for several weeks; we actually just removed this year’s version.
We have different strategies. Becky chooses a small section—a tree or a table or a person—and searches for the pieces that comprise that section. I tend to scan for look-alike pieces with similar lines, then figure out what they contribute to the picture.
But we both operate from a common belief. We’re both certain that our efforts will eventually produce the entire picture. We’ll ultimately see where each piece fits.
I think many folks think about God like a jigsaw puzzle.
People talk about God as if they can figure Him out. It’s like He has corners and edges and if you just get those in place you ought to be able to fill in the spaces.
These folks seem uncomfortable with uncertainty, as though “I don’t know” signals doubt or lack of faith. As I said last week (God And Tough Questions), this creates a fear of questions that leads to a lot of difficult behaviors.
A non-believing friend once asked me how God could be three distinct persons and one at the same time. I replied, “I don’t know.”
Then he asked how I could believe something I didn’t understand. The best answer I could offer was, “That’s why it’s called ‘faith’.”
Three persons in one is a paradox—in human terms. I’m okay with that.
I like what The Message translation of 1 Corinthians 13:12 says:
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
Personally, I’m glad God and His love don’t have corners and boundaries. It’s good that they extend forever, even if I don’t really understand what that means.
What’s something you don’t understand about God?
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