Scripture: Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Thought for the Day: I was really taken by the words of Richard Rohr who wrote:
Metaphor is the only possible language available to religion
because it alone is honest about Mystery.
In the age of reason (last 300 – 400 years) or the Enlightenment, we have been told that everything can be discovered if only given time. We watch TV shows that begin with a mystery, and within 43 minutes (hour long program, minus the commercials) the mystery is solved. Yet if we were to be honest with ourselves, every answer we discover reveals another dozen questions. A few decades ago, we wondered if we would ever learn of another planet like earth. Today, they believe (with great certainty) that there are more than 11 billion earth-like planets in the proper orbit around a sun for the possibility of life…and that’s just in the Milky Way Galaxy. That answer is shocking and amazing, but it also raises more than a dozen other questions for me.
The Proverb suggests it is the kings job to search out these mysteries, but I believe it belongs to all of us. Search; explore; ask questions; discover…but don’t get too cocky about your discovery. As I look at the life of Jesus, I believe the only certainty he wanted us to have was in regard to God’s love. Trusting the unconditional nature of that love frees us to go beyond the shallow and pithy answers that so many people wish to provide. That gift sends us forth on an amazing and exciting journey into the unfathomable mysteries of the universe, which includes the mysteries of God.
Prayer: In this life, O Lord, teach me to ask questions and listen closely to the experiences of others. Let me learn and grow beyond what I thought was possible even yesterday. Amen.
