Paradoxes of God

There are reasons why Jesus spoke in parables. One is to make it necessary to seek and work to find Him. I have recently been working to reconcile a couple contradictions around the idea of God and Christianity.

The first example is the thought that God is more vast than the entire universe–the ENTIRE universe. Not just our solar system, or our one galaxy, but ALL of it. The smarties who study that stuff say there’s hundreds of billions of galaxies. I try to wrap my head around that and then think He knows the number of hairs on my head (Matt 10). What? He knows me better than I know myself, right? And not just me, everyone. How can a God so indefinite also be so intimate? But eventually I accept it….or fall asleep.

The next example involves trying to live the true Christian lifestyle. There is a certain contradition that surfaces when one starts focusing less on this life and more on the next. First comes the feeling of being free. Compared to eternity this life is “a vapor”(James 4:14), so why worry about failings and shortcomings, why take it too seriously at all, right? But then, as I matured in my walk, I felt convicted to follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. He gave us one new commandment: to love others as He loved us(John 13:34). Now is seems there are not enough hours in the day, so much to do…so much I could have done. How can I be so involved in this world but also keep my heart fixed on heaven?

In the end, these paradoxes only reveal how grand our God is and how fulfilling and challengeing a life pursueing Him can be. I will thank Him for that everyday.

That’s What Shakespeare Said

The Wise Man

 A Wise Man is considered one which is not easily fooled;

One that perceives deceivers invading and wastes not a moment

To deny any truth that is not truth but a tool.

When a Wise Man finds the Truth: as it is he will tout;

Yet what lays beneath! For the Truth comes to a Wise Man

The same as to a Fool, can the Truth not spring from a Fool’s mouth?

A Wise Man proclaims the Truth as he sees it,

Alas! Beneath the vision lies writhing

For air, deception everywhere emit.

 

A World of Falsehoods; poisoning, rotting

Away to the core of Purity.

Shall this be my existence ’til I shuffle off

This mortal coil? A constant battle to live in the Light.

O Master! Your Star is but a reminder;

Like a compass I shall keep one foot fixed to it

While the other struggles to follow.

How I long to know no more than the quark

In the Idiots grin! What good is a Wise Man if he

Can only know the Truth while his tongue is forked

And his foot wanders? The Fool knows not to question.

Blind me, O Lord! Shield my eyes from this world of lies

That like Our Lady, I may weigh in accordance with the Law.

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Dear Readers, This piece was written not only in Shakespeare’s famous style, but the content was inspired by his ingenious method of using irony and double meanings; the narrator says one thing while the context of his words says another. Also as a tribute to the literary giant, I included a line from his most famous soliloquy.