Christian Paradox
Christianity is a paradox. It challenges us to believe completely opposite ideas at once. Some examples:
We know that people cannot rise from the dead but we believe in the Resurrection.
Christ is God, all powerful, yet surrendered in humility.
God knows all, sees all, controls all, yet we still have free will.
We cannot work our way into heaven, yet we still must do good works.
Even though we cannot save anyone ourselves, we must do our best to bring others to salvation.
Faith - the very thing we need to know God remains a mystery.
God knows all our needs, thoughts, and wishes, yet we still must pray.
God, all good and all loving, allows evil to exist.
We should not kill, yet God allowed His Son to be killed.
To the non-believer, these are but a long list of reasons not to believe. What about those of us that do believe? How do we reconcile these paradoxes of faith? Take the example of a parent raising a child. Discipline stings, but a loving parent dispenses it wisely to prevent later harm. Even though parents love their children they must hurt them sometimes, and the child often cannot fully understand this. A simple example, but in it lies a hint for unraveling greater truths. We, being merely human, cannot comprehend all that God has prepared for us. Understanding and wisdom require experience to develop. We will never grasp it all, but we must keep trying (the list grows...).
The example goes further. A child loved in a wholesome way learns to trust their parent immensely. Children might not always obey, but their level of trust can be nearly limitless. Orphans long for trust and security dreaming of parents they might have no memory of. Yet how much can we trust anybody, even ourselves? People fail all the time. Mistakes are made, birthdays missed, and betrayal can wear many faces. Yet the loved child continues to trust despite all this. This reasoning, followed to the extreme, leads us to our relationship with God.
In infinite love we can find infinite hope. In infinite wisdom we can place infinite trust. It's like putting all your money in a bank that pays infinite interest sounds nice doesn't it? A Christian can therefore embrace the paradox that so confounds the unbeliever. Here Christians find their strength in a God that can make something so incredibly unreal, real. Christ's blood, utterly pure and shed in such a manner that it concretely and completely defines love - inevitably leading to victory over sin and death. At the extremes we find truth and unlock the secrets of paradox. At the extremes we find our faith.
"Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Mark 10:15
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Author: clayonmyeyes
Location: Buenos Aires Argentina
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Blog Entries: 92 (archive)
Blog Comments: 460
i am 40 y.o. with a great wife and 5 sons. i fully accepted christ into my life in early '04. one month later my wife bore our 4th child. i retired from practicing medicine in june'04. we relocated to argentina from pittsburgh (my wife is argentine) that same year....
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i grew up and remain catholic. believed firmly as a youth then slipped away. later i raged against god and tried my best to push him out of my life. but through my loving wife and kids he gently brought me back under his care. a story familiar to many......
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