mystery

i've been thinking lately about the concept of the hidden things of God. there are many things about God we will never know until we are on the other side of eternity, but that does not change the fact that the hidden things of God are meant to be searched out and known. i've decided that God is not a God of secrets, he is a God of mystery...and there is a vast difference between the two.

one of my favorite things to do is watch documentaries, preferably of archaeological, anthropological or historical nature. over thanksgiving weekend i watched loads of television, and among the many things i saw were two different documentaries. one was about the books that made it into the bible, and some books that didn't. the other was relating to the theories in the da vinci code. the thing that struck me was the claim that so many groups, brotherhoods and sects guarded these various secrets, and the "alternative" gospels that tell "untold" stories of the life of Jesus. it all seemed so laughable to me.

secrets are beliefs (weather true or imagined) which are inherently the catalyst for control and manipulation. secrets are hidden from input, correction, guidance or demystification. they are the dark damp cave where things grow that would not survive in the open light of disclosure.

the claims of these various sects, or of these so called lost books of the bible, to have secrets about God that have never been revealed to anyone else in all of history strikes me as ridiculous. Jehovah God, King of the universe, who delights in making Himself so approachable as to give His Son to become a man and interact with us for an entire (if brief) lifetime! this is the God who keeps deep, dark secrets that don't have any bearing on salvation, our relationship with Him or how we live our lives? i just don't buy it.

the emotions of secrets are seldom good. shame, anger, pain, fear, lust, hatred and envy are the ones that come to mind immediately. throughout history we see that wherever secrets are held, people are held captive by them. civilizations have fallen over secrets, and sadly even the church throughout history has manipulated and dictated from the power-base of secrets. looking closer to home we can see that those who seek freedom in their personal lives will inevitably find that comes only with disclosure of things that they don't want anyone to know about them, their life, their family or their choices. interesting, isn't it?

but mystery! what joy to seek for something that will bring us to wisdom, understanding and a broader perspective. to seek something out for the pure excitement of knowing and understanding it. mystery is that which is meant to be sought out, meant to be illuminated. it is a knowledge beyond our own, meant to be attained by searching out truth from sources outside of ourselves, and revealing a broader perspective than one previously had on a matter. mystery is meant to be resolved with disclosure, it is created to be a catalyst for illumination and deeper understanding. the feelings that are connected to mystery are anticipation, eagerness, excitement, desire, joy, awe and even trust.

now think about that in regard to Father God. so many see Him as a God of secrets, when really He is a God of mystery. the emotions of secrets - the anger, shame, fear and resentment - are applied to God because it seems that He is trying to control us with what He knows and we don't. when we see Him as a God of mystery we find ourselves living instead in a place of trust in His revelation of Himself. we find ourselves excited, eager, and full of joy at what we find when we seek Him out, and we find ourselves in awe at the extent of what we see when our perspective is broadened by the wisdom He gives us in the process.

secrets search for the cover of darkness. mystery craves the light.

anyone else have thoughts on this?