Ken Wytsma opens his new book The Grand Paradox
“We want answers from God. We have a ravenous appetite for clarity in life. And often, we desire justification, or, at least, some kind of explanation for why He allows certain things to transpire. God, however, is more mysterious than we think He should be or wish He were. Most of the time, we don’t receive the desired answers or the clarity for which we clamor. In spite of our seeking, God seems just out of our reach. Try as we might, we cannot pin Him down. In short, the truth is: life is messy, and God is mysterious.”
Amen.
A few years ago I was asked to speak to a group of engineers in Silicon Valley. It was a talk on faith and vocation, and it was a presentation I’d made many times before. When speaking on this topic a common desire for every audience is to find clarity in the balance of life and faith. With the engineers it was especially acute as they struggled to find the unique equation unlocking the mystery of meaningful and faithful living.
Unable to get my point across, I finally said, “Look, God wants us to wrestle with life. He doesn’t give us an owners manual to live by. Even successful people are getting by on a wing and a prayer. You know why he wants us to live this way? So we’ll never, ever forget how badly we need him.”
I tell that story, and share that line, because it’s obvious Ken wrote The Grand Paradox with the same idea in mind. Ken is a friend and we communicate every month or so, but we have never talked about this issue. So when I read his book I was stunned and pleased to see how we were on the same page about so many things.
The key difference, however, is that Ken offers ideas on how to embrace the paradox. It’s still messy, and still mysterious, but it’s a stronger response than anything I’ve said before. I might flippantly say “life is complicated” but I’ve not done nearly the thinking on the idea as Ken. I can point to a few contradictions in Scripture, but Ken walks us through deep points of tension as he explores topics of faith, obedience, and virtue.
This is a great book seeking meaningful insights into … well, into the grand paradox of life. Perhaps Ken’s greatest strength is his understanding of how faith and justice intertwine. You see this prism for understanding God subtly weaved throughout the book.
Grand Paradox is released tomorrow (January 27) and I highly recommend ordering your copy now. As the opening paragraph indicates, all of us seek answers. Few of us get the answers we want, or understand the answers we get. Life is messy, and God is mysterious. This book embraces the grand paradox and helps us understand just how wonderful a messy life and a mysterious God can be.
