Which view is a person more likely to embrace? The harsh, rugged scene or a gentle, peaceful one?? Do people climb to sit on the side of the mountain to stare directly at the sun's full brightness, or do most people prefer the subtle splendor of sunrises & sunsets?? Light is a good thing, but too much is blinding! When Christ revealed Himself in full glory, Saul of Tarsus was rendered sightless. Yet when revealed as a simple, unassuming carpenter, the blind were healed. God could have made the sun to rise all at once, leaping into the 12 o'clock sky each morning, but He designed it to light the world, by slowly dawning. It is far easier to grasp and embrace Truth when it's introduced gently and gradually. Which view of Truth are you presenting??
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Which View?
Which view is a person more likely to embrace? The harsh, rugged scene or a gentle, peaceful one?? Do people climb to sit on the side of the mountain to stare directly at the sun's full brightness, or do most people prefer the subtle splendor of sunrises & sunsets?? Light is a good thing, but too much is blinding! When Christ revealed Himself in full glory, Saul of Tarsus was rendered sightless. Yet when revealed as a simple, unassuming carpenter, the blind were healed. God could have made the sun to rise all at once, leaping into the 12 o'clock sky each morning, but He designed it to light the world, by slowly dawning. It is far easier to grasp and embrace Truth when it's introduced gently and gradually. Which view of Truth are you presenting??
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4 comments:
Thanks for your blog comment over at Pilgrim's Progress.
I need to mull a bit more, but I'm not sure whether Truth is always easier to grasp when introduced gradually.
I could point to several key moments in my life where something new of God has come crashing in on me, and it's felt like a second conversion. That has happened at moments where I just wasn't getting it with the gentle approach - I find the gentle approach easy to explain away at times.
Perhaps it's because of being of Celtic origin that I love the wild and rugged side of God's character, and in prayer I often wrestle with him, but I love his gentleness too. I also think it's part of being masculine - I think God relates to my maleness more readily by revealing his wildness. When strongly aware of God, I often feel quite bold and fierce, which overcomes my natural timidity.
I wonder if others would echo this experience ...
I ditto...sudden changes, or sudden introductions to new ideas have often met with rebellion, and fear...
Hi Richard, I do think various individuals may respond to a hard and fast approach. I do not. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit knows each of us and what will reach us. I think people who have been abused are more likely to prefer a gentle presentation. I never thought of it as a gender difference before, but it may be true that men are more likely to prefer an aggressive approach. Good comments!!
Thanks for your comments ... I'd say God has dealt with me in both ways - the gentle and also the dramatic. It does seem to depend on the circumstances.
Just when I think I've understood how God deals with me, something changes, and it's a call to seek him again, and let him be creative and imaginative in how he chooses to communicate his love.
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