The big news of this week is that the series finale brought all the plot fragments together, and there’s no more mystery to solve, right? Nnnnno, not really. All over the blogosphere you can still see the fans lost in the wonder, continuing the speculation, getting into the depth of the meaning of Lost-life. Here’s an example from Common Grounds Online.
Being lost in a good mystery can be just a fun distraction. It can also be intensely fulfilling, even transforming, life-altering. Mystery can open up our minds to new possibilities, shake us out of the sense that we know it all, keep us on our toes for what might be revealed next.
Maybe that’s why I get uncomfortable when I hear people talking as if they know exactly who God is and what God is all about. Certainty-talk can put me on edge. I’ve experienced the ugliness that can come from two people butting heads with their own “certainties”. But more importantly, I’ve experienced the exhilarating thrill of having two or more people discovering together what’s real and meaningful. By sharing what we know and listening to others, we may not arrive at certainty. But we can dance together in the mysteries, getting glimpses of truth as we go.
One of those mysteries to dance in is who we humans are in relation to God and in relation to all of creation. The Bible’s book of lyric poetry, called The Psalms, explores this mind-bending theme in many different ways. Take a look at Psalm 8 to see one poet delving into the awesomeness of who the Creator is and how we creatures respond. Can you place yourself in that picture: staring amazed at a starry sky, getting lost in the wonder? And then feeling the weight (glorious but overwhelmingly heavy) of the responsibility humans have for tending this world God made (like caring for oil-covered pelicans)?
And since we’re talking about seeing things from many perspectives, take a look at this version of the same psalm from The Message. Both writers are looking at the same ancient texts, drawing out different meanings. We can get into the “who is really right” argument, or we can get lost in the creative tension between them.
Speaking of creative tension… if there is one ancient teaching of Christianity that plunges folks into mystery, it is the understanding of God as “trinity”. Three and one at the same time. Many Christians around the world will be diving headfirst into this mystery this coming weekend. My hope is that people won't get bogged down in getting "the right" understanding, but instead will get lost in the wonder of who God is and how God relates to us!
If you’d like to come and engage with others on the stuff I’ve brought up here, please come and join the audio skype conversation on Thursday, May 27, 7pm EST. New to skype? All you need is a microphone (most laptops have them built in). Just go to www.skype.com, download the program, set up your identity, and then look for “by the way community”. All are welcome!
A final note: One of my favorite songs for getting-into-the-wonder-of-God is “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”. Check out the lyrics if you like (especially the last line!) or view a choral performance of this engaging poetry about the way-beyond-all-understanding mystery of God’s love for us.
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