The Faith Needed to Celebrate our lack of Understanding
Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3)
The Christian religion is suffering from arrogance. Those who have turned away from the faith often do so out of vanity. “Until you can prove to me that God exists, I will not believe.” Either the Almighty Creator of the ends of the universe proves divine existence to you, or you will not bless God with your awesome attention. Arrogance!
On the opposite side of the equation are those whose arrogance resides in believing they know the mind of God. For example, certain Christians think if they say the correct salvation prayer, they will open the magic door to the kingdom of heaven. Still, others believe that if they appropriately share the sacrament of communion, their salvation is assured. Still, others proclaim that pleasing God comes only from those with a heart for specific social issues. Those who disagree with any of these Christian groups are viewed as ignorant and perhaps even excluded. Arrogance!
God turns every part of our world upside-down. For example, wisdom is found in not knowing. Wisdom is slipping through your fingers if you believe you must have answers before you can acknowledge God. Likewise, if you must think you have all the religious answers and that God’s incarnation is unique to you and your small group, wisdom eludes you. Christ-like humility requires an open mind and an open heart.
The great stoic philosopher Epictetus stated, “If a man [person] would pursue Philosophy, his first task is to throw away conceit. For it is impossible for a man [person] to begin to learn what he has a conceit that he already knows.” Ancient philosophy and the Judeo-Christian tradition wisdom agree in many ways. “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Romans 12:3). Today, pray for the Holy Spirit to impart enough wisdom into our hearts that we can celebrate our lack of understanding.