The power of ‘and’
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’m sharing some of the founding principles of my faith. Last week was all about the notion of the Good News being for anyone, not just those who seem ‘nice, good, or peaceful’. This week, in the second principle, it’s about the notion of paradox, and the tension that concept holds for believers.
When I was younger, one of my constant struggles with understanding God was the apparent contradictions of His nature. This was exacerbated, or perhaps birthed, by growing up in a family of origin whose father had a dogmatic faith with many contradictions between private life and public presentation. This left me feeling confused and quite untrusting of this apparently contrary God.
As I grew, I leaned more towards the rationale presented to me by non-Christians that my faith lacked coherence. I had never been taught Christian apologetics, despite growing up in church, so I had no answer for their questions, and increasingly, no answer for my own.
All that changed when I was studying in a Christian university to become a teacher as a mature-age student. We had been given a task to define what it meant to ‘teach Christianly’ as opposed to simply being a ‘Christian teacher’. What a fantastic question for any of us to apply to our roles in life. What would it mean to ‘parent Christianly’ as opposed to simply being a ‘Christian parent’.
In my quest to seek understanding, I was drawn to a body of literature which espoused the paradoxical nature of God. A paradox is created when two seemingly opposing truths are equally true at the same time. This causes a sense of tension which we must balance when seeking the truth and the right way forward. For example, theologians have explored the tension between God’s sovereignty and human freewill. Therein lies the great question of life: ‘If God is real, why is there so much suffering in the world?’. It is a worthwhile tension to explore.
Rather than being trapped in a false binary of either/or, this notion of paradox caused a seismic shift in my thinking and birthed a new paradigm through which to view and understand God. No longer was I bound to see God as either merciful or just. I could hold both as true and seek His wisdom for how to interpret situations as they arose.
For example, many people cite the violent passages of the Old Testament as contrary to the merciful exchanges in the New Testament. When viewed as either/or, there is no sufficient rationale. However, if we hold as true that God is both merciful and just, we must then consider motives. The Bible states that God knows the intentions of our hearts.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
Hebrews 4:12
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I believe God is merciful towards the frailty of our humanity, and at the same time, can be righteously angry when those driven by greed, malice or hate do harm to others. As humans, we have the full range of these traits within us, in varying measure. We become angry when our wellbeing is violated and can, at the same time, show great mercy to those who are vulnerable. If we are made in God’s image, and I believe we are, then how much greater is His scope for holding paradoxical truths as true in the fulsomeness of His being?
The question then becomes, how do we know how to respond? If it is right in some situations to seek punishment, and others to show mercy, how can we make right decisions? God’s great wisdom allows Him to respond perfectly in each circumstance. As we seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit in every situation, so we too will be equipped to respond appropriately, meeting people at their place of intent, rather than their outward behaviour. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can navigate the tension of this paradox. I believe it is essential, unifying, and beautiful when we do so.
Let’s embrace the power of ‘and’. Let’s seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance in all things. Let’s be a people who live boldly within the tension of seeking, and resist dogma at every turn. Let’s arise.
Arise, fair one. 