Arguing Theology and Mysticism
Here’s an excerpt of a comment I’ve left on one of last week’s posts on this blog, in response to some other folks’ comments. I thought it was worth highlighting here on center stage.
Mysticism breaks down as soon as we start to argue about it. I have friends online (mostly evangelicals) who love to get into these detailed arguments about the sovereignty of God, or the true nature of the ecclesia, or how best to unpack the Holy Trinity. My eyes always quickly glaze over whenever I encounter one of these threads. Not because I don’t think we should ask the questions — I think all questions are vital, including heavily theoretical ones — but because it seems to me that as soon as we stop declaring what we ourselves see and experience, and start to criticize what others are seeing and experiencing, then that fragile thing we call “living in the spirit” seems to immediately come under duress. Maybe others are gifted at living in a state of prodigal love and grace while criticizing and being criticized, but frail sinner that I am, I’m not there yet.
The purpose of … the book I’m writing, and indeed this entire blog — is not to win arguments, or to declare once and for all what the Final Truth is regarding mysticism. As if any of us could package and trademark God! Rather, all of my writing is mainly a report on how the cosmos looks from behind my particular set of eyes. Thanks to everyone who shares how they see things differently. But please don’t get disappointed if I disagree with you but shy away from arguing about it.
