Divine mystery invites us to explore the vast and unsearchable nature of God. Mystery affirms that an infinite God cannot be fully comprehended by finite human minds. It sits with the reality that there are unknown aspects of God’s being and ways.
Defining Divine Mystery: Divine mystery refers to the concept that certain aspects of God’s nature and work are beyond human understanding. It emphasizes that while we can know and experience God, there will always be facets of His being that remain shrouded in mystery.
Theological Insights
- Limitations of Human Understanding: Divine mystery highlights the reality that God’s nature transcends human capacity to fully comprehend. Our language and concepts are finite, while God is infinite.
- Sense of Awe and Humility: Embracing divine mystery fosters a sense of awe and humility. We acknowledge that God’s wisdom and ways are beyond our grasp.
Historical Theology
Gregory of Nyssa (335–394): “Concepts create idols; only wonder comprehends anything. People kill one another over idols. Wonder makes us fall to our knees.”
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): “If our mind were simple enough to understand God, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.”
Contemporary Theology
Timothy Keller (b. 1950): “God’s wisdom and understanding are unsearchable, so there are going to be things in your life that will not fit into a neat box.”
N.T. Wright (b. 1948): “Mystery is not just something that you can’t understand. Mystery is something in which you can participate, which you can get to know more and more about.”
Practical Applications
- Humility and Awe: Approach the concept of divine mystery with humility, acknowledging the vastness of God’s nature. Let it inspire awe in your worship.
- Trust in the Unseen: Embrace the unknown aspects of God’s ways with trust. Even when we don’t fully understand, we can trust in His goodness and wisdom.
- Growth in Wonder: Cultivate a sense of wonder and curiosity in your relationship with God. Seek to know Him more deeply while acknowledging the limits of human understanding.
Recognition of God’s unfathomable nature should lead to awe, humility and a hunger for more understanding. In embracing the concept of divine mystery, we find ourselves invited into a deeper relationship with the unknowable—an invitation to approach God with reverence, trust in His ways, and journey with open hearts and minds. Not knowing God is a form of knowing God when you consider this element of mystery.