I have always considered being shy a weakness. I don't like that I am like that. And, there's that bit in Timothy's second letter in the bible (1:7) about God not giving us a spirit of timidity...
However, in my re-reading of Yancey's 'The Jesus I Never Knew' I completely forgot about his use of the term "divine shyness" in chapter 4 when talking about Jesus and The Temptation. It's how he describes his (and God's) great restraint.
As he notes, most of us think we would prefer God not only BE all-powerful, but to ACT on this power too. You know, show some authority, do more miracles, strike down the evil-doers, and "fix" all the wrongs of the world. Instead, as Jesus shows us in the desert battle with the devil, God has more important things in mind. Yancey says, "Although power can force obedience, only love can summon a response of love, which is the one thing God wants from us and the reason he created us."
Also, "God's terrible insistence on human freedom is so absolute that he granted us the power to live as though he did not exist, to spit in his face, to crucify him."
Yeah...
As difficult as it sometimes is to understand the slowness of God - when wars rage, disease ravages, and ridiculous ideas take root in our brains - there really is a better way. Apparently.
I can't explain it, but I enjoyed going through this chapter again. It reminded me why I don't buy 'just war' theory, Trump's snake oil, or, really, most of the conservative agenda. It also humbled me about a number of issues in my own life. The least of which is being shy.
No comments:
Post a Comment