An Eternity in Ecstasy
The titles we give to God—Eternal God, Uncaused Cause, Unmoved First Mover, Loving Father—attempt to scratch the surface of an infinitesimally complex subject. Often they are the very cause of problems in our discussions. Because of nuance defining God in human words is bound to fail. We describe Him, but only in part. We speak of Him and his attributes but he escapes definition. The greatest barrier to defining God is transcendence. Regardless of being formed in His image, God is so different from us that our greatest efforts and deepest thoughts prove inadequate.
We are made up of infinitesimal bits and pieces of matter. Everything about us, everything we understand, grasp and meditate on is part of the created order. Everything except God. God is not made of matter, instead He made all the matter. He did not order, as many of the ancients believed, the universe our of preexisting material chaos. Everything has being, while God is being.
Try for a moment to comprehend details of God. Define him, delineate him. Whatever definition you apply will require modification. If we speak of God’s existence, the word is defined differently than for ourselves. If we speak about God’s love the depths of it require explanation. Speaking of justice, mercy, grace—all must be elaborated on in an attempt to understand when applied to God.
Inability to fully grasp and comprehend God is not a problem, neither is it proof that he is non-existent or that belief in him is anti-rational. My mind is able to comprehend light, warmth and love. At first glance these words appear easy to define. However, as we try, we find that it is not possible without use of antonyms. I can not fully grasp light, warmth and love, unless I start with dark, cold and hate. One problem with our comprehension of God is that no anti-God exists. There is no equal being in opposition to God, to whom we can compare him. This leads us, when thinking of God’s love, to juxtapose it to human love—similar to comparing a tea kettle to a nuclear fusion. Don’t forget that inability to comprehend something does not define the object but the observer. A person incapable of seeing light does not make light a myth. It means the observer is blind. Inability to grasp the depth of God shows how shallow humans truly are.
As you think about these things consider eternity. Discard any images you may have of cherubs playing harps on clouds. In eternity the vastness of God unfolds before us. For eternity we learn and grow in our understanding of God. C. S. Lewis in The Great Divorce, has those in heaven speak of their journey into the depths of God to experience and understand more and more of him. I think of this sort of like the Eureka moments experienced in school. In many subjects, after flitting mercilessly about your head, comprehension would come rushing in fully formed and past anxieties wash away in a great rush of relief. Imagine eternity as such a moment without end. An eternity with comprehension of God, the depths of His love, experience of His mercy and fellowship washing over you constantly. The ecstasy of such an experience! No wonder scripture expresses our intimacy with God through the language of marriage and sexual union. As a wedded couple spends the rest of their days getting to know each other we who are saved spend the rest of eternity getting to know God. Eternity will not be long enough!
