What God is Not

     Checking the date on my last blog post, it's been over 18 months since my last post.  I guess I'm not exactly the model of blogging consistency.  I have been pondering over the course of the summer about finding more time to write.  Or making time to write.  At this point in time in my ministry and in my life with my family, writing theological and Scriptural reflections on this forum is a discipline.  This is a good thing and it's a good thing for me to attempt to do.  And here on the cusp of our summer vacation, it's as good a time as any to put something new up.  I can't guarantee that it won't be another 18 months until I write something new, but I'll make the effort to post with more regularity once we return from the beach.

     One of my favorite thinkers from my Church History class in seminary was a fellow by the name of Pseudo-Dionysus (Denys, for short; pronounced "Dennis"), who wrote in the late 5th/early 6th century.  What I remember about Denys was the interesting nature of his theology.  Denys engaged in what is called "apophatic" theology, or theology of negation.  Apophatic theology starts by stating what God is not instead of saying what God is.  Denys argued that since the adjectives and metaphors that we use to describe God are all completely insufficient, we must talk about what God is not.  So it is appropriate to say that God is not good.  This sounds jarring at first until you understand that Denys is not describing God, but rather our understanding of what "good" means.  God is not good in the way that we mean "good" because our view of the good is limited by our own fallibility and finitude.  Eventually, Denys concluded that, when it comes to God, we are ultimately left in silence.  There is nothing that we can say of God that actually accurately describes God.  God is ultimately beyond our intellectual and linguistic grasp.  Kind of reminds me of Elijah in I Kings 19:11-13 - a story worth your time to look up and read.

     As a Christian and as a pastor, Denys is a reminder to be careful about the words I speak.  Especially when I speak about God.  Of course, I cannot completely follow Denys' proscription to remain silent about God.  I must speak, for any number of reasons.  And while the apophatic approach may be well-suited for meditation and theological speculation, it makes for pretty lousy proclamation and evangelism.  So I speak, but (hopefully) with care.  And I take the time to be silent, to reflect, to rest in the mystery of the God I serve and proclaim.  This particular discipline can be a challenge for me.  I'm easily distracted and always looking for pieces and tidbits for lessons and sermons.  It's difficult at times to simply let a reflection or thought remain in my mind or my soul.  The apophatic approach reminds me that I don't necessarily have to speak all I know (or think I know) and not every lesson God teaches me is for public proclamation.

"Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." --- Psalm 141:3


Just some scattered thoughts on the cusp of the weekend.  Grace and peace to all of you!

Wes