...the less I know

There have been occasions when people have said to me, "I feel like so much of what I've been taught about God from my church is a lie." Those are pretty strong words, but I've heard them often enough to make me notice them.

They may be referring to a Catholic church, a Baptist church, a small church, a mega-church, your church, or my church. I don't think it's the fault of the Church itself. The beliefs of the Church are taught and lived out by the people of it. Some are leaders and some are followers, but what they have in common is the nature as humans. 

Human nature gravitates toward predictability, control, methods, etc. We feel more secure when we know what to expect.

Jeff & I were talking with some friends about what we all have been taught about salvation. There were a few variations, but the steps pointed to the same methodology. There was a time when having an exact process was comforting to me. It's no longer the case.

The day after that conversation, I saw this blog post by Donald Miller in which he wrote of "our drive to define God with a mathematical theology". Beyond knowing that we're loved by God, and he wants us live out our days loving one another, the continuing knowledge strengthens my perspective of God as wonderfully mysterious. There's a beautiful tension in those words.  

I don't think a specific church or the Church has lied to me. I think it's a process of understanding that the more I learn about God, the less I know.  

Comments

[joanne Brewer]

thank you Kathy for sharing this with us . I agree with you the more we know the less we do not know it does get quite complicated to say the least . I guess if we are to understand him in his words he loves us beyond all measure. I guess that comes to faith, blind faith and that is the one i have the most difficulty with. But as we live and breath we live to learn.