Spiritual Enlightenment, part 1

For the next couple weeks I'm going to periodically share with you a few signs of spiritual enlightenment (defined as: illumination; to furnish knowledge to; to give spiritual insight to). In other words, some signs that you may be growing in your knowledge and understanding of your spiritual self. The signs that I'm going to share are not original to me, but they do accurately describe ways in which I've grown. Here below is part 1 of a 5 part series on spiritual enlightenment.
___________________

The Embracing of Paradox
Since we are in the mode of defining stuff, let me share with you Webster's definition of paradox.

1 : a tenet contrary to received opinion
2 a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises
3 : one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

Definition two is by far the most accessible and comprehensible definition of the three. Take two things that seem in contradiction to each other or don't make any sense put alongside of each other, but at the same time they remain both completely true: this is a paradox.

Life is full of paradox. I realized this truth more clearly at the funeral for an eight year old girl in our church. Joy and pain, faith and doubt existed arm-in-arm, in every tear that was spilled on every cheek. The joy of knowing that the wholeness of heaven was bestowed on one so young; the pain of living here and now, living out the remainder of days without her. The faith of a family, clinging tightly to the God who makes all-things whole and complete in his time; the doubt of "why us, Lord?" the unanswered cries of "why not?" still ringing loudly. In Darby's death she found the fullest life imaginable. Joy and pain. Faith and doubt. Life in death.

Jesus spoke in paradox. A lot. Examples? Dr. Luke, if you will please enlighten us with your record of Jesus:

Luke 9:48--For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest.
Luke 9:24--For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
me will save it.
Luke 22:46--The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.

The least is actually the greatest. Want to save your life? Lose it. If you lose your life you'll save it. The greatest must become like the youngest ( "like children" in an earlier gospel story). Rulers must act like servants. Paradox everywhere.

Christmas is coming. Christmas is a celebration of the greatest of all paradoxes. God becomes human, enters history and forever alters it and us. God in a manger. God. Man. Godman. A divine being, "making himself nothing" (Philippians 2:7), "taking on flesh and moving into the neighborhood" (John 1:14). Fully human, fully divine. (Don't even get me started on trying to explain it. It can't be done.)

Paradox bothers us. It goes against our proclivity for the scientific method and reason. Paradox takes common sense, turns it upside down and laughs at it, like the 90-pound wuss everyone picked on in school (read: me). How can two seemingly opposite things be true? I don't know, and I suppose if I did know then it would cease being a paradox, wouldn't it? Instead of trying to explain or solve paradox we need to learn to embrace it, dive into it, roll around in it. You can accept that some things about life and our spiritual journeys don't make sense, even seem to contradict each other, or you can try to avoid it all and miss out on the excitement of wandering into the "cloud of unknowing" that surrounds the Holy One of Creation, and being filled with the excitement and terror that comes from our encounters with Him.

shalom, matt