Today’s Readings: Psalm 105:23-45; Ezekiel 1:15-28a; Matthew 22:41-46; 1 John 5:6-12; Psalm 110
One of the blessings I have been given in life is the ability to be okay with mystery or apparent paradoxes. When I was in seminary, I learned that gift wasn’t that unusual. In fact, our sisters and brothers in the Orthodox tradition generally have this gift more than those of us who are Protestants or Catholics. Nevertheless, this gift sometimes puts me at odds with those who want everything clearly defined and articulated. One place this is particularly true is in the area of Christology – the area that deals with the question, “Who was Jesus?” Many folks who are Protestant or Catholic want a simple, straightforward answer to the question. Those with a high Christology who emphasize Jesus’ divinity want an answer along the lines of that given in the Nicene Creed: Jesus was “the Son of God, begotten of the Father, Light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” Those with a low Christology who emphasize Jesus’ humanity want an answer along the lines of: “Jesus was a good moral teacher who – through his example of self-emptying love – shows us how to lead a good life.” Folks on either extreme of this continuum are rarely satisfied with any sense of mystery contained in one’s answer. In today’s Gospel reading, however, those opposed to mystery (the “literalists”) reach the point where words and certainty can no longer carry them. As a result, they shut down. My question for you to consider today, is this: “What role does mystery play in your spiritual life? Are you comfortable sitting with those things that lie beyond the realm of words and reason, or do you feel compelled to reconcile and/or articulate everything?” Til next time…
One of the blessings I have been given in life is the ability to be okay with mystery or apparent paradoxes. When I was in seminary, I learned that gift wasn’t that unusual. In fact, our sisters and brothers in the Orthodox tradition generally have this gift more than those of us who are Protestants or Catholics. Nevertheless, this gift sometimes puts me at odds with those who want everything clearly defined and articulated. One place this is particularly true is in the area of Christology – the area that deals with the question, “Who was Jesus?” Many folks who are Protestant or Catholic want a simple, straightforward answer to the question. Those with a high Christology who emphasize Jesus’ divinity want an answer along the lines of that given in the Nicene Creed: Jesus was “the Son of God, begotten of the Father, Light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” Those with a low Christology who emphasize Jesus’ humanity want an answer along the lines of: “Jesus was a good moral teacher who – through his example of self-emptying love – shows us how to lead a good life.” Folks on either extreme of this continuum are rarely satisfied with any sense of mystery contained in one’s answer. In today’s Gospel reading, however, those opposed to mystery (the “literalists”) reach the point where words and certainty can no longer carry them. As a result, they shut down. My question for you to consider today, is this: “What role does mystery play in your spiritual life? Are you comfortable sitting with those things that lie beyond the realm of words and reason, or do you feel compelled to reconcile and/or articulate everything?” Til next time…
1 comment:
Testimonies of histories and ecstasy.
Remembering my/our own
Post a Comment