Being Definite about the Infinite

Spirituality Column #197
August 17, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

Being Definite about the Infinite
By Bob Walters

Logic and infinity have a tough time with each other because logic demands definition, and infinity cannot be defined.

So it is with faith and relationships. Our human logical minds wish to define every human or divine encounter, and yet there sits our Father God up in heaven, utterly infinite, utterly safe, utterly good, utterly unique, utterly holy.

Utterly real, yet utterly indefinable.

And because of that indefinablilty, many humans refuse to accept the God-inspired yearning of our hearts and minds to seek God, praise God, love God, and love others.

Funny … it’s His infinite indefinability that makes God worth worshipping.

Our culture has developed a love affair with practicality, both inside and outside the church. Don’t we individually insist on seeing the evidence? Don’t we say, “Show me the money”? Don’t we insist on a logical definition for … an infinite God?

Infinity seems like it should be a quantitative thing, a great big number or a great big space. But God’s infinity makes more sense as a qualitative thing, more like beauty or love or faith or relationships.

Defining our relationships with God and each other are not things that lead easily to pat answers and rote definitions. Define your family: that’s my wife, those are my sons, there’s our dog. Define God: there’s my church, there’s the Bible, Jesus is my Lord and Savior, Amen.

But does any of that truly describe a relationship? Does it consider the infinity of possibilities, the infinity of freedom, the infinity of love, the infinity of the throne of God?

As Christians we desperately want to define God in ways that help our logical minds resist all challenges to our faith. And perhaps even more desperately, we want to share our faith – to express our relationship with God – in ways that persuade a non-believer’s logical mind.

The fully man, fully divine person of Jesus Christ is the bridge between logical man and the infinite God. Notice though that Jesus is not a bridge of how far or how much, He is a bridge of relationship; a bridge of faith, hope and love.

Most of us learn to love our families without a lot of specifics, and Jesus commands us to love others … also without a lot of specifics.

Don’t wait for the specifics to love God. Let God’s infinity draw you in, not push you away.

Walters (www.believerbob.blogspot.com, email rlwcom@aol.com) knows “we are weak but He is strong.” Yes, Jesus loves me.