The Shelter of Words
Mar 21st, 2008 by John
The Shelter of Words
by
John W Frye
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
God.
God is an idol.
Not the reality, but the word “God.”
The word “God” cannot contain the reality.
How many of our words are idols?
Not because they want to be,
But because they cannot
carry their infinite loads.
Trinity. Three little idolatrous
Syllables chosen for a majesty and a mystery,
Ineffable and illogical.
Like kindergarteners with loaded .45s,
We play around With Other realities
Which would kill us.
Luckily we have our frail words to protect us.
Human vocabulary: our shield
Against the Burning Fire Who is God.
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Your post here reminds me of another post I read by Julie Clawson that you can find here.
Well said! This is a truth which I have learned and yet I wish I knew better. Sometimes I find myself disagreeing with someone about who God is and I have to stop and remind myself that there is a difference between who God is and what the word “god” means. I wrote a poem on a similar idea a few weeks ago- I put a link at the top of this comment, I’d love to hear what you think! Thanks!
Good thoughts. A life without mystery can’t be one that’s connected to God.
J Ted Voigt,
I appreciate your thoughts, yet I get uncomfortable with my own poem because we can say true things about God. It’s the sentiment that we’ve got God pegged that bothers me. Some streams of USAmerican evangelicalism act and speak like they have a corner on God. I think that is an arrogance of the highest order.
Post Blicakbird Song,
Ah, yes, the word “mystery.” Alas, USAmerican evangelicalism doesn’t like what it can’t control so they wring every drop of mystery out of God and his Word that they can. The faith comes all flattened out and packaged for microwavable truth.
Great poem John.
This reminds me of Barth’s dialectic of veiling and unveiling. And the wonderful thing is that God created language!
“Inspiration & Incarnation”
[...] admits he is a Christian 3. A little info on Maundy Thursday for us non-ritualistic types 4. Words as idols 5. An excellent post on the pronouns we use for God 6. What can the church (continue to) learn [...]