Upon reflection of Steve’s Teaching this past Sunday, it occurs to me that many things in life that we struggle with are wrapped tightly by straps of uncertainty. In fact, the struggle of this binding uncertainty is that we are groping for certainty, wanting desperately to land on a strong foundation. Certainty is easier because it feels more secure. With certainty, I know what to do, how to act, and what to prepare for. We naturally strive for certainty in many areas of our life – our finances, our schedules, our jobs, even in our relationships we want certainty. So when Steve bade us to leave certainty behind and challenged us to “embrace mystery,” to be honest, I thought he was a little wacky. Yep. I said, “Wacky.”
However, once I got over my initial surprise (and judgment) I was able to better hear what he was saying. He likened certainty to the golden goose pursued with vigor in order for him to “have everything figured out.” I have understood that same pursuit, yet I used different semantics to define it. In other words, certainty can be just another word for control.
Embracing mystery in our faith and letting go of control in our faith are patterns of the same fabric. Letting go of control and embracing mystery involve a journey of awareness, neutral judgment, and surrendering to being known – whether intimately with God or in the greater context of community.
Therefore, we stand challenged/encouraged/spurred on to embrace something that doesn’t feel natural when we begin the process, yet once it is tenaciously pursued, quickly allows us a completely different way to live. This way of life can be seen, by some, as wacky, but perhaps it really is what a journey of faith is all about.
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