In the Myst of It

I am grateful for this time of Lent. In our church, we are engaged in a thematic look at the scriptures called "Radical Companionship." Jesus accompanies so many different folks in his life, all who seem to be encountering Jesus at just the right moment. It is a powerful reflection on the life and ministry of Jesus, but for those of us familiar with the conclusion, the mystery of the end is what captivates us. I can't help but wonder what those folks with whom Jesus walked must have thought when they heard about his arrest, death, and rumors of his resurrection. What did that mean for their lives? Were they discouraged? Did they give up? Did it embolden them in the new direction their life took? Obviously, something took hold - and I think it is rooted in the mysteriousness of this Jesus character.

We have grown to fear mystery in our culture. We want cold hard facts, stats, and results. And this way works for our brothers and sisters who engage in the scientific method, such as biology, astronomy, or criminal forensics. The trouble is that our church often transfers this methodology into its evangelical endeavors. We are tempted to try to convince others of the case for God in scientific terms. "Here's how its possible, scientifically speaking, that dinosaurs only lived 4ooo years ago" or "Here's how its possible that a flood from a finite amount of water could have covered the entire earth and then receded to some other place." The story of our faith is not based on scientific possibility or probability. It doesn't hold up to the scientific method and we shouldn't try to force it. I would posit that the power of the story is not whether something did or did not happen in terms of scientific proof, but in learning how people of faith have been presented to respond to adversity, oppression, and their view of how God was in the midst of it. For us, this biblical story gives a fuller, but not complete view of God - God is yet alive, right? And sometimes this is an allegorical view of God's action in the world. If the Song of Solomon can be seen as allegory and not be literally true, then why not the flood story or two creation stories in Genesis? Does allegory make a story less true?

If it had been absolutely clear what had happened to Jesus (which it is not), meticulously documented by hundreds of cross-referenced historical sources (which it is not), would prayer be the constant challenge that it is for us? Faith wouldn't be the same - it would just be a matter of either getting a hold of the facts or not getting a hold of the facts. Anyone who didn't believe, or who doubted (and if we are honest with ourselves, we all doubt at some point in our lives) that person would not have a lack of faith, they just wouldn't have a hold of the facts. One thing of which we are certain, that this this not the case. Philosophers and theologians have tried for centuries, unsuccessfully, to come up with a "proof" for God based on logic and science. In contrast, I appreciate the challenge and struggle that faith's mystery gives to us, to believe in that which cannot be seen.

I doubt. And yet in this Lenten season, it is the act of mindful daily prayer even in the midst of it, not a presentation of unprovable "facts", that moves me closer to the mystery and loving it all the more. As we the church move closer to the remembrance of this mysterious resurrection, let us be aware of that unseen and unprovable God that is alive and well, in spite of our insatiable doubts.