I would start, referencing apophatic spirituality, that mystery is earned. One has to do the work, to strip away, to learn to see one’s entanglements in this world, to confront the gravitational pull of the self, and then, perhaps like Heschel, to see or sense that wonder just off stage, to the side yet present, that weighs and invites.
Or perhaps we can approach that mystery only where, when we shut our mouth.
That some bloke, thought to be the ‘son of God’ (whatever that means) got nailed to a cross and somehow we ended up being saved from perishing is, I would say, a pretty big mystery which ever way I look at it. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t think it’s all a mystery.
My view (born of experience) is that, at least in the charismatic circles in which I spent several decades, appeals to mystery often *are* a cop-out: an easy, lazy way to avoid thinking critically about one's theology and its implications.
I too am more at ease with mystery than I used to be; but I think this kind of lazy appeal to mystery is something quite different from coming to a genuine place of humble acceptance of and contemplation of mystery.
I would start, referencing apophatic spirituality, that mystery is earned. One has to do the work, to strip away, to learn to see one’s entanglements in this world, to confront the gravitational pull of the self, and then, perhaps like Heschel, to see or sense that wonder just off stage, to the side yet present, that weighs and invites.
Or perhaps we can approach that mystery only where, when we shut our mouth.
Looking forward to this!
It seems to me that Mystery has to be a part of Truth, yes? Something can be true as well as mysterious, certainly.
That some bloke, thought to be the ‘son of God’ (whatever that means) got nailed to a cross and somehow we ended up being saved from perishing is, I would say, a pretty big mystery which ever way I look at it. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t think it’s all a mystery.
My view (born of experience) is that, at least in the charismatic circles in which I spent several decades, appeals to mystery often *are* a cop-out: an easy, lazy way to avoid thinking critically about one's theology and its implications.
I too am more at ease with mystery than I used to be; but I think this kind of lazy appeal to mystery is something quite different from coming to a genuine place of humble acceptance of and contemplation of mystery.