United or Divided? | Certainty vs Mystery
Those who know me well know that I don't do math.
Yes, I'm an artist and an unapologetic romantic - a renaissance man who seems to be constantly trying to reinvent myself. Probably out of boredom, I guess.
It's a great thing I don't have an alcohol problem because if pulled over, I could never walk a straight line. Yes, I travel in random arcs in my flights of fancy - even in circles. And no, I'm not talking about the roundabouts here in Bend, Oregon.
Math is utter certainty - that 1 + 1 stuff. It's a hard line, and for me - a hard time. I live in mystery, and I love it. My wife, Colby, is always wondering what I'm up to, and half the time, I'm not quite sure.
Certainly math and certainty are necessary in modern society. Without them we wouldn't have numbers and rules to live by, not to mention cars and roads (straight and curved). Plus medicine and hospitals, good law and great science, astrophysics and iPhones!
But sometimes certainty can be harmful.
Author Richard Rohr writes, "The need for certainty is often a greater obstacle to spiritual growth than doubt is. If we're confident that we already possess the whole truth - it can keep us from being transformed by God. We don't grow spiritually by accumulating certainty; we grow by surrendering ourselves to God, who is always larger than our ideas about Him.” Well said.
Doubt can be part of a healthy, growing faith. But certainty can stunt our growth, and worse, become a form of spiritual pride or a way of avoiding dependence on God. Authentic faith is grounded in trust rather than exhaustive knowledge.
Rohr says the opposite of faith isn't doubt - it's control.
And now we're watching it live on the big screen in our body politic and also, unfortunately, in many of our churches. It's ironic that many of Jesus' strongest confrontations were with religious leaders who believed they already had God figured out.
Every Christian tradition, in fact EVERY religious tradition has blind spots. Certainty leads to arguments, which lead to separation, which can sometimes lead to violence - even to a win-at-all-costs war.
Humility is essential when we hold strong convictions.
Author C.S. Lewis writes that "Our understanding of God is always limited. God always exceeds human comprehension." We all see only a part of the big picture, as the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:
"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"!
Paul goes on: "Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love".
That sounds like mystery, not certainty - doesn't it?
Lastly from Richard Rohr: "Spiritual maturity means becoming comfortable with mystery. God calls us to hold together the paradox - two seemingly opposing truths, like justice and mercy, transcendence and intimacy, human freedom and divine sovereignty".
Rather than rushing to break the tension of uncertainty, God encourages us to remain open, and a deeper understanding will certainly emerge.
