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              %ACCEPTING THE MYSTERIOUS WORD OF GOD 871019

The  Word  of  God  can not be  imprisoned  in,   or
contained  in,   any string of human words  understood  by
God's creatures.  The Word of God comes to God's creatures
in mysterious ways which we cannot control or manage.   It
is  not  in our power to fully understand or  control  the
ways  in  which the Word of God comes to God's  creatures.
Such control of God's Word is not our responsibility,  and
God does not give us the power to control his Word.    The
Word  of  God is a Mystery to be accepted as a  gift  from
God,   not a key to be turned in the heavenly doors  as  a
means to get into heaven.   The doors of heaven are  open,
but   the  way  through  them  does  not  satisfy  selfish
preconceptions.

     God  points to his Word in many ways.   The words  of
holy writings are some of the pointers by which God points
to his Word.   The pointers are not the Word of God,   but
point to the Word of God.   Holy people often point to the
word  of God,  but they themselves do not control the Word
of  God,  even though they are closer to being the Word of
God than is any string of human words.

     The  word of God has integrity with God.   People  of
integrity  share  in God's integrity and thereby point  to
the  Integrity of God which is one with the Word  of  God.
It is to be remembered that the words which point  to  the
Word  of  God  cannot  be  helpfully  manipulated  as  are
algebraic    symbols   which   point    to    quantitative
relationships.    Words which point to the Word of God are
not  elements  of an equation which contains the  Word  of
God.

     To accept the Word of God and be freed by it one must
be  willing  to  accept mystery,  rather  than  always  be
seeking  to  dispel mystery with more and more  knowledge.
Essential  mystery  cannot be dispelled with any  kind  of
knowledge,   even  though ignorance of some kinds  can  be
dispelled  with knowledge of kinds appropriate to the kind
of  ignorance  which is dispelled.  The Word of  God  does
dispel certain kinds of ignorance,  if God's free gift  is
accepted with mystery.

     The Word of God is Holy, but the words which point to
the  Word  of God are not as words holy words.   They  are
words.  The words point to what is Holy, they are not what
is  Holy.   That which is Holy is essentially  mysterious.
Words are not essentially mysterious.  Neither are certain
sequences of words essentially mysterious.  They sometimes
point, however, to that which is essentially mysterious.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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