Wednesday, July 15, 2020

15 July 2020 - trusting the experts



I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.

So many people in this world want to be seen as wise, to be seen as in the know, as on the right side of the debate because of their skill is navigating conflicting stories.  Is it any wonder that being childlike has no appeal? Although Jesus is not recommending naivety or credulity he nevertheless describes an approach to receiving the truth that is completely at odds with that which is normal in society.

One way to look at being childlike is finding a credible authority and putting our trust in them. In this way it is analogous to trusting in the consensus of scientists and researchers for those who do not share in their expertise. But in these hidden things which God reveals there are no human experts. Revelation goes above and beyond what science and even the most clearly reasoned philosophy can discover. And the trust we are called to place in the Father goes beyond the trust which any human authority deserves. Even if they are always correct, scientists are still human, still not individuals than can always and without exception will our good. The Father does not merely speak truth. He is the truth itself. And he always and without exception has our best interest at heart. We can trust him as a Father who always has our flourishing in mind.

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (see First Corinthians 1:20)

The Father is more worthy of trust than any human expert. But the arrogant inherently recoil. Being right in the eyes of the world is something that the arrogant desire. They would probably prefer being able to figure everything out for themselves. But as long as they can at least be right they don't necessarily need to avoid the recommendations of experts. But they can take no such self-satisfaction in the trust we are called to place in God. Trusting God admits the weakness and fallibility of our reason, that our minds are darkened, that we often prefer lies to the truth. It acknowledges that we are limited, that we are creatures, that the only way to ultimate truth is to receive it.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

The Son wishes to reveal that Father to us. We age in our hearts to the degree that we live apart from his life-giving Spirit. Without him we become unable to receive as children can. But his promise to give us new hearts is not a one time promise. He wants to make all things new in us, the make us childlike again, and enable us to receive his promises.

Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (see Matthew 16:17).

If we exult ourselves too much the LORD will allow us to be humbled. The reason is not simply as punishment but so that we can remember the source of our life, and in remembering to avail ourselves of that source more and more, and to be thankful.

Therefore the Lord, the LORD of hosts,
will send among his fat ones leanness,
And instead of his glory there will be kindling
like the kindling of fire.

But as the psalmist says, we are not abandoned. Let us return to the LORD with new and childlike hearts, ready to receive what he reveals.



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