posted on Jul, 16 2003 @ 07:21 AM
...in my mind there is no sin whatsoever in attempting to increase our understanding of God...and I'm sorry if I gave that impression, perhaps my
choice of the word 'insult' wasn't a good word choice at all...I'll try to explain that a little more. Sorry if my explaination starts to wanders
off with a little story, as I have a habit of trying to highlighting points through little stories...as you well know...but sometimes its easier to
show a point without directly/initially going straight at it...or maybe it simply ends up confusing people more
Anyway:
Ummm...okay...now we have this cultural thing called 'Manuhiritanga' within my culture. Manuhiritanga basically means 'Host hospitality', how we
treat our guests...visitors etc...who should be treated with the utmost respect and shown much honour and consideration.
See...if someone visits my house, they are shown the utmost respect and pretty much anything I have is at their disposal...I will try my very best to
provide anything I can for them, make sure they are comfortable, offer food/drink whatever to show honour to them. In a way, there is almost a sense
that anything I may do, anything I may provide...the guest is still worthy of more. Hope I'm explaining this well enough...but basically its about
treasuring someone, again 'honouring' them. We may do our very best for them...but always there is the sense of that person being so special that
they are worthy of that and more...ya know.
So...in a way...our understanding of God...God is sorta worth more than what we can understand/provide. So really...we are NOT disrespecting Him by
trying to understand Him...its just that any understanding we may come to, He is greater than that.
Your question of how we are to believe in Him, yet not KNOW Him:
Okay...there is someone who is very special to me...very...I have an understanding of them which is growing more and more every day. But I haven't
yet got a total, full, complete understanding...but I know, I believe, a clearer understanding will come over time. I believe in them...I trust in
them...they have my heart. They have that belief/trust/heart even without me fully knowing them. See...I know enough about this person already to have
faith in them...faith that will only grow as my understanding of them grows.
Will I ever achieve a full total understanding of this person?? Who's to say...time will tell...but the understanding I may lack wouldn't stop me
believeing in them.
...hope that made some sense...
Peace,
ALIEN