100 Words: Mystery + more
On Twitter this morning, Leonard Sweet shared a new project he’s working on, and invited others to help crowdsource the 100 words that are central to being a Christian. My first foray is “Mystery,” and I invite you to read & comment, and even vote at the 100 Words site if you like it…and of course offer your contribution to the project.
The intricate dance of faith has some fundamental steps: Creation. Incarnation. Crucifixion. Resurrection. Grace. Forgiveness. Generosity.
These steps are intelligible to a certain degree: after all they must be comprehended and communicated, experientially and communally. But faith also admits the knowledge of human reason and intelligence. This humility in the face of an infinite God is called mystery.
God’s presence at creation, in the burning bush, on Mount Sinai: cloaked in mystery, surprise, and darkness. Despite a book-length rational argument, Job is confronted by the mysterious God out of the whirlwind, who asks the questions. Jesus’ parables are enigmatic, and he cloaks his Messianic nature in secrecy during most of his ministry. Paul writes that we only have partial understanding now, and that the fullness of meaning comes in eternity.
The gifts of grace the Church calls “sacraments” originated in Greek as mysterion. Mystics such as Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross describe the “dark night of the soul” from which a profound trust in God is established. Charles Wesley’s 16th century hymn “And Can It Be,” speaks of God’s self-giving: “‘Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies! Who can explore his strange design?” Even in today’s liturgical language, we “proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again!”
The mystery of which Christians speak is not a puzzle to be solved but the tensions and paradoxes which we inhabit, knowing that our scripture and shared history invite us to not just learn the steps but revel in dancing and trusting with God!
