Ripple Effect

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Dimly – Can you adjust your vision?  Are you able to look at the world through a different lens?  In order to see the world as God sees the world, considerable vision correction is needed.  God’s view of the world is based on order and purpose.  Nothing happens by accident.  Everything under the sun has a purpose.  Every action is a reality that either brings life or destruction, order or chaos.  Reality consists of those actions that promote the purposes of God.  All the rest is a lie, and is therefore not real, for reality is what aligns with who God is.

Unfortunately, an enormous amount of our vision is trapped in what is finally not real.  We see the world as a collection of things, not actions.  We think that the “stuff” of the world is real.  We do our best to align our lives with the arrangement of things, the collection of things, the power of things, not realizing that what is real from a Hebrew perspective is what has permanence.

Paul expresses this dilemma in a comment about seeing ourselves in a mirror.  He uses the Greek words en ainigmati.  If you pronounce them, you will hear a faint echo of our word enigma.  We see obscurely.  We see as if we were looking at a puzzle, a mystery that we can’t quite get into focus.  That is the essence of this life – puzzling, not quite visible, like a riddle, like tacit knowledge, something you “know” but you don’t know how you know it.  If we recall that the Hebrew view of time is olam, from mystery to mystery, we shouldn’t be one bit surprised by Paul’s imagery.  We travel a road that comes from obscurity and goes to obscurity.  We aren’t quite certain how we got here and we aren’t exactly sure where we are going, but we have this:  today we can see what we need to see.

Two implications are immediately obvious.  First, to travel from obscurity to obscurity requires trust, not information.  I must trust the one who builds the road.  I follow it because I trust that He is competent, reliable and compassionate.  I don’t always know why the road twists and turns, but that’s because I am not a mystery-unraveler.  I am simply a traveler.

Second, I will not understand the meaning of my steps on this road until after I have taken them.  Many times I will have to travel a great distance before I can see why the road turned when it did.  Sometimes I will not know at all – until I have finished the journey.  That’s what it means to travel en ainigmati.  It’s the ripple effect.  I don’t see the influence of the ripples until I have moved on.  What my action means is hidden in the mystery after and before.

Greek metaphysics asks the question, “What must I know before I can take this journey?”  The objective of this question is to gather information in order that I can be certain of my direction.  Far too often, the Greek thinker never begins the journey because he is waiting for necessary information.  The Hebrew asks an entirely different question with an entirely different objective.  His question is “What does the builder of this road expect of me?”  The goal is to determine how he should travel, not if he should travel.

Are you waiting for information before you travel?  Or are you walking according to the builder’s expectation?

Topical Index: en ainigmati, dimly, certainty, mystery, olam, 1 Corinthians 13:12

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Fred

I admire the implication of who is righteous in this haggadic passage from the Talmud: “Abaye said the world contains 36 righteous men, but Raba said 18,000. No contradiction – the 36 see the Holy One, blessed be he, in a bright mirror, while the 18,000 contemplate him in a dim one” (Sanhedrin 97b, condensed).

Drew

Shalom,

Indeed Skip … we do see obscurely because we look with eyes that are covered in scales. Sha’ul knew what it was like to be blinded by perspective …. did he not?

I do not think there is any argument that the Greek Meta-physical model and thought processes are prevalent … they assuredly are so in the business culture. I think we should objectively admit that this same thought process is prevalent in our secular and religious ideology as well. (Another problem and another conversation dealing with an “integrated view”)

Anyhow … Skip stated: “We travel a road that comes from obscurity and goes to obscurity. We aren’t quite certain how we got here and we aren’t exactly sure where we are going, but we have this: today we can see what we need to see.”

When one simply studies the Hebrew word for path/way … “derek” it is clear that this temporal journey is quite obscure … yet at the same time the journey when viewed in a Hebraic context can be quite certain and very straight. How? Because of Torah and our heart attitude! It is called “working out our salvation in fear and trembling” … is it not?

I may not be aware of the temporal winding road or the hills and valleys being navigated, but I do know that I have a character pattern that can be applied along each and every step. It is HIS character, manifested as Torah, that we can apply with a single mindedness and humble heart to make straight our paths.

I can only act upon what is presenting itself now. The actions that I take can significantly change the temporal path (cause and affect). The quality (righteousness) of my actions determine the straightness of my path … not my steps nor the direction that I think my feet are moving. As such we can escape the delusion of trying to “control our paths/destiny” … as in the Greek way!

Yes brother Skip … the Hebrew way is much more concerned about the tactical actions and we leave the big issues of “purpose” and “destination” to the ONE WHO actually controls such matters. At the end of the day is this not what it means to “walk by faith”? Most assuredly Avraham’s journey was quite mysterious for one who was known as a “friend” of YHVH! … And we see what happened when Avraham tried to “control” the path … not good!

Enigmatic … yet at the same time a path with tactical opportunities that we all can see with 20-20 spiritual vision. A journey in which we only know “how to travel” and need to embrace rather than fear the mystery of the destination or the encounters.

b/t/w Skip … keep on rockin! 🙂

Dr. Cheryl Durham

Two implications are immediately obvious. First, to travel from obscurity to obscurity requires trust, not information. I must trust the one who builds the road. I follow it because I trust that He is competent, reliable and compassionate. I don’t always know why the road twists and turns, but that’s because I am not a mystery-unraveler. I am simply a traveler.

This reminds me of a client I have who is constantly getting “education” in order to control her world. New techniques for managing the things in life that may surprise her (and yet they don’t). I have been seeing her off and on for nearly 15 years. My response to her always going to groups is, OK, but when are you going to trust God and not 12 steps for the journey……she isn’t there yet….she stays in counseling until it becomes clear to her that she has to trust God for the outcome; then she goes away only to return later, looking for the key to “unravel” life.

Daniel

What is the purpose of a seven year old child being repeatedly abused sexually?

David Salyer

Daniel:

Yours is the great objection to a God who reveals Himself as Sovereign Creator and Sustainer (ruling and in control) and Infinitely Gracious (working all things for His ultimate glory and for our supreme benefit) and yet seemingly permits such evil and atrocities in His world to go on seemingly un-checked, if not with, at least from our perspective, present indifference….God does provide us with explanations for how things once were (perfection), why they are now the way they are (imperfection) and what they will one day be (perfection redeemed) and somehow, in all of this, God will never stop being God and ours is but to trust Him, His character and His purposes and live as redeemed agents in a world of chaos, injustice, death and destruction…..But to ask the “purpose” question is to basically ask the Job question of “Why, God?” (which God never answered). My question then becomes to you (and me, in all honesty): “Does God somehow owe you or me an answer and if He answered us, what would He tell us that would satisfy our quest for understanding and explanation?” Would He tell us that He acts capriciously with indifference on the plight of the suffering of the innocent and that He takes great pleasure in either causing or permitting a seven year old child to be repeatedly abused sexually? Is that your/my/our God? Maybe the question isn’t why but what can I/we do. Maybe God intends to use you or me to be His agent of redemption in the life of the seven year old child who is being repeatedly abused sexually? Or maybe even to bring redemption to the life of the abuser? Wouldn’t that be truly amazing?

Daniel

It is easier to take the position that “nothing happens by accident and everything has a purpose” when you are not that seven year old child. When the unwanted things occurring in your life are premised on your own foolishness or sin or are recoverable by hard work it is much easier to be philosophical about life’s unwanted events. When something happens TO you for which you are a complete innocent this view point is hard to swallow.

Twenty-five years ago I was financially broke. I was told, in some form, by numerous people: “money doesn’t solve all of life’s problems…” 100% of the time the person who said that had abundant financial resources. As I lifted myself, with God’s help and the love of my wife, out of that situation I learned something. It is easy to be philosophical about not having money if you have money. I also learned that money can’t solve every problem but I’d rather face problems with money in my pocket than without. It doesn’t solve every problem but it can soften the blow and give you options.

I see that same dynamic in this issue. Everything having a purpose, etc. glides off the tongue when life is actually pretty good. It doesn’t glide so easily when you become an authentic victim who is deeply and perhaps unalterably harmed by the sin of another.

Michael

Hi Daniel,

I agree that it is hard to understand why innocent children, or adults for that matter, must suffer.

But the fact is that there are innocent folks suffering all over the world every minute of every day.

If we believe that God creates this world, designs this world, controls this world, then God must bear some responsibility for what happens in this world.

We have been created with evil impulses and as a result we cause a lot of pain for ourselves and others.

But a lot of our suffering is completely out of our control; for example, we have no control over many diseases, natural disasters, and evil people in general.

In my view, if there is one God, then he is responsible for these things; it is simple logic.

At the same time, it seems to me that God wants to be worshipped.

And the more attention we pay to him, the more power we give to him, the better he likes it.

So it seems somewhat logical to me to conclude that if I don’t have control over things that are happening to me, then it must be what God wants.

And if it is what God wants then I’ll do my best to handle it.

In any case, this attitude works best for me when the going gets tough 🙂

Judi Baldwin

Hi Daniel,

Your question is a common one asked by both believers and non-believers alike.

This past Sunday, we happened to have a guest speaker at our church who addressed this question. Michael Rydelnik is a Messianic Jewish believer and professor of Jewish Studies at Moody Bible Institute.

His sermon on 5/16/10 was titled “When Disaster Strikes”. He doesn’t address sexual abuse per se, but he does address “tough stuff and confronting life’s challenges.” Everything he says could be applied to any kind of suffering.

If you go to northsub.com and click on “Sermons and Outlines,” then look for Dr. Michael Rydelnik’s sermon on 5/16/10.

I hope you find it helpful. I certainly did.

God Bless,

Judi

Judi Baldwin

Daniel,

I just found out that there’s a problem with the 5/16/10 sermon I mentioned. About half way through, it stops.

I called the church, and they are going to check into the problem.

If it doesn’t get resolved, I can mail the actual C.D. that I got after Sunday’s sermon. I can send it to Skip and ask him to mail it to you, or you can authorize Skip to give me your address if you’re O.K. with that. Either way if fine with me.

Meanwhile, we’ll wait and see if North Sub can fix the problem. I’ll know in a day or so and will keep you posted.

Sorry for this inconvenience.

Judi

Daniel

Judi, I did download it and was about 17 minutes. I’ll calendar myself to revisit the site in a couple of days. Thanks.

Manuel Collazo

Dimly not only implies perspective we also must remember that in the time of Paul he did not have the mirrors we have today. His image comes from what we would consider a polished brass pot, brass or copper were likely the more common metals in use at the time (iron was for weapons) so the fact is the common mirror if there was such a thing was made of polished copper sheets. If you look into one of these mirrors the image you see will be distorted, not clear. So once the mirror is not there and you see the true face you can really “see” in full.

Blessings

Manny

David Salyer

Thanks for sharing your own personal story of suffering and hurt which appears to have been compounded by the glibness of response by those who had no experience and could therefore never empathize with your situation….I agree completely with your sense of hurt and just how easy it is to be glib about things when they have never been a part of our life experience. I think that our hearts need to be broken before we can ever speak life into someone else’s hurts.

You have reminded me of this important point. Thanks for that.

Daniel

Thanks all for your responses. Judi, I am downloading that sermon and will listen to it. Thanks.

Skip Moen, Ph.D.

I wrote something about the shift in perspective that applies here. I think it was titled “The Day Before”, you can see it by searching the articles on the web site. Here https://skipmoen.com/2009/02/09/the-day-before/

It might not answer the question about atrocious evil, but it does reorient the perspective, just enough to realize that Hebrew does NOT answer such questions. It lives within the reality of tension about evil.