More Than Ideas

Acts 28:23-31 Paul Preaches in Rome

After they had fixed a day to meet him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe. So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further statement: ‘The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah,

“Go to this people and say,

You will indeed listen, but never understand,

   and you will indeed look, but never perceive.

For this people’s heart has grown dull,

   and their ears are hard of hearing,

     and they have shut their eyes;

     so that they might not look with their eyes,

   and listen with their ears,

and understand with their heart and turn—

   and I would heal them.”

Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.’

He lived there for two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

REFLECTION:

Christianity is not a set of ideas to be believed, but a deeper reality into which we are invited to live. In the modern world, reason has been hailed as the greatest good. The scientific method, combined with deductive reasoning, tells us “truths” about our world, right? So the most important thing must be thinking the right things about God, right?

But what we must struggle to understand is that our intellect only gives us one set of truths about the world…rational thinking only reveals one aspect of reality. God is not an idea that we have to wrap our minds around, but instead the very source of love and the very source of life.

Paul is right to quote Isaiah…and Isaiah was right to list the challenges to faith like he did. Indeed, faith involves more than just intellectual assent – it involves listening, looking, and a sensitivity of the heart that perceives the goodness of God all around us.

Maybe we have been de-sensitized (literally) into thinking that thinking is all there is. Maybe the Christ child is inviting us out into deeper waters than our intellects can allow. Maybe this Christmas will be about listening, looking, and sensing with our hearts the goodness of God that comes in ways we’ll never figure out.

PRAYER:
God of love, give us the grace to trust you even when, or especially when, our intellects fail us. In that trust, re-sensitize us to your loving presence. Amen.