When we come to the end of logic and reason, we enter the realm of mystery. God IS mysterious. He’s unfathomable — largely unknowable. Ponder the Trinity for just a moment and you’ll see why it has been a stumbling block to so many over the centuries. To consider the creation of the universe takes imagination. To believe in God’s miracles and mighty marvels does not require scientific proof (for there is none) — it requires FAITH.

Faith is a rare commodity these days. In a digital age, with global positioning satellites and massive amounts of stored data, the unraveling of DNA, and Artificial Intelligence, we convince ourselves that we could know all there is to know. We pride ourselves on our charts, graphs and algorithms that quantify and describe every aspect of life.

Of course, scientists at the seam of the known and unknown are well aware that the quantum world is strange and unpredictable. It suggests multiple dimensions. Quantum entanglement has objects separated by vast distances acting in synch. Even today, they are discovering particles that may travel faster than light.

Nevertheless, modern man has removed mystery, magic, and the Divine from our everyday day experience. But much that is real in the world is beyond our comprehension. What’s needed is imagination, belief, FAITH. And that is where we meet Christ.

Christ IS the mystery of God. The New Living Translation of Colossians 2:2-3 puts it this way:

… I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Who can grasp how the Holy Spirit ‘overshadowed’ Mary and created a being that was fully human AND fully Divine? Was God on earth and in Heaven at the same time? How can he reside in the hearts of millions simultaneously as the Holy Spirit? How is it that God can hear and answer the prayers of billions?

How can we comprehend the power that a praying, sinless man was able to call down from Heaven to drive out demons and heal the sick and disabled? If we have that same power, why aren’t we doing more healing services? Does understanding so much about the functioning of our bodies lessen the impact of miracle healings?

Is it possible to ever understand how Jesus died and by that death was able to free all souls from the penalty for sin? Can we fathom His sacrifice, his trip down to hell and paradise, the supernatural transactions that occurred in the Spirit realm that allowed death to be defeated? Can we know the incredible power released in the resurrection of His body three days later? How amazing it is that all this forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation are ours if only we sincerely believe?!

Any encounter with the Divine results in wonder: the fear and trust in God the Israelites felt after He parted the Red Sea, the awe and wonder of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s neighbors when she bore a son in her old age, the amazement of the people of Bethlehem when they heard the shepherds’ story, Mary’s treasuring and pondering of all that had happened to her, the amazement of the people when they heard Jesus’ teaching.

We should always approach God’s throne of grace with wonder, amazement, and awe. When we reach the limit of our understanding, the limit of what can be quantified, we step across the threshold into a place where Truth is understood with the heart and soul with no need for proof. When we take that step of faith into the mysterious unknown, we walk right into the outstretched arms of Jesus, right into the hand of the Father where no one can ever snatch us away.

God works in mysterious ways. Everything about Him is beyond our full understanding. In His love and grace, He has revealed Himself to us in the limited ways we can comprehend: the scripture, prayers, the wonder of creation, interactions with others, love. “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12. What a glorious day that will be! Until then, embrace the mystery, get comfortable with the inexplicable, learn to thrive in the unknown and find rest in just trusting God.

Blessings of wonder,

Jen