God always makes the first move. To know the God of the Bible is to trust the God who created everything out of nothing, not because more was needed to somehow complete the circle, but simply because it pleased God. There’s nothing necessary about our existence, just as there’s nothing we can do to force God’s movement in the world. God always makes the first move. Faithful action, then, is always a response.
So, if you’re a bishop of the church in the turmoil of the fourth century, there’s nothing you can do to guarantee the future of the church. And if you’re a passionate, thoughtful person at the beginning of the twenty-first century, eager to sort out the big questions about God and life, there’s nowhere you can go to start figuring everything out for sure. However strong our desire, however fervent our initiative, it’s never enough. God always makes the first move. The Spirit blows where it will. When it does, it often blows our minds.
But after you’ve been knocked off your feet””after the Spirit has hovered over the chaos of your life and hurled you forward into a future beyond the limits of your vision””the questions are still there. God’s interruption doesn’t answer our questions. It doesn’t erase them either. It leaves us, rather, with a photo album full of pictures of hope.
Such a fine start to this article. I look forward to reading the rest!