to KNOW and be KNOWN:
'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did'
'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did'
I have been thinking about this question lately. It's not meant as a complete picture, just a snap shot of being known. I am sure after a few days I will write something else ... but for now, here it is!
The desire within each human is to be KNOWN – fully known, and to truly KNOW others. God made us like this - And it is the way God is with us – the unknowable made knowable; and it’s the way God is within himself – three in one in perfect relationship.
In the garden of Eden, nakedness – living openly before God and eachother (and lets not forget the animals!). Freedom in communion with their Maker and with eachother. No walls and masks. No competition. No fear. No guilt. No shame. Transparent, honest living. "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame". (Gen 2:25) And this was so good...
Since Adam and Eve ate the apple, sin and knowledge of sin, and scars from the sins of others are the clothes we put on daily, and take into relationships – with God and eachother. That gift from God – the child like ability to trust, and be trusted, to live freely and openly, was marred. "Then the eyes of both were opened and they realised they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves...The lord called to them, 'Where are you?".. Adam answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid".(Gen 3"7-10)
Does this feel right sometimes?
Fear: if they really know me, will they love me? I must hide ... If I share my self, will I be accepted? I must run ...
Competition: I can't meet this 'other person', as a unique person and celebrate the wonder of all they are, because it holds a mirror to me of all that I am not. I must pretend ...
Shame: I am so overwhelmed by my own knowledge of my sin and potential for it. If people knew this, they would want nothing to do with me. I barely can live with this knowledge myself. I must hide ...
But God put his feet on the ground to restore. To restore a potential to To Know Him, and to Know eachother.
Jesus was tired and asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Jesus extends intimacy across religious, gender and cultural divisions. It is treated with suspicion: "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" The opportunity for relationship is lost. But Jesus pushes past her defenses, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you the living water...indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." She asks for this gift.... But first Jesus needs her to know that she is KNOWN, "Go call your husband and come back." An opportunity to be honest. She is evasive, "I have no husband". She has a past and a present. He tells her, "The fact is you have had 5 husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband." She is KNOWN. And Jesus doesn't walk away. His heart is to KNOW her, and all Samaritans – for them to know him too. "A time is coming when true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth." And she says she wants the One who will explain LIFE to her. That's the heart of man – to have truth revealed to them. Not to be lied to ... Then Jesus declared, "I, the one you are speaking to – I am he!"
True communion. To know, and be truly known.
She races back to her village: "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did!" Such joy at being known!
She met the Almighty, as she was, transparently, and was accepted. God on high with his feet on the ground. And the shame was gone. The barriers, for a moment come down as she returns to her village with an open heart, as she extends to others, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did".
God met her in her normal day. And I guess that's where he meets us. Not in church – although he is there. But on the road, while we are getting a drink.
And by his spirit in us, we can learn to relate again - to trust and to be trusted ... "as I have loved you, so must you love oneanother". Jesus
posted by me @ 7:04 AM
12 Comments:
She met the Almighty, as she was, transparently, and was accepted. God on high with his feet on the ground.
Nice, Rhea.
Its interesting that we are known by God both pre- and post-naked Adam and Eve. That is, God knows us before and after the cross. We are fully known at every stage.
Just after we know by faith that we are acccepted will we cease to cover our lives with inadequate fig leaves and live openly.
That was messy that last comment. We are always known by God -- in sin or cleansed from sin. But when we know that we are accepted -- then we can live free.
I just love your post and actually just referenced both your posts in mine this morning here
justin - Hi! and yeah - i guess i wasn't thinking about the all knowingness of god, but rather our confidence to be known by him ... i like what you said "when we know we are accepted, then we can live free"...
Emma. that photo of you and John is way cool! Thanks for your lovely emma-ness!
Hi I don't know you but Em has shown me a great photo of you and your little family. I was the person on MPJ's blog who was hoping you had a blog - and here you are! I really like your two posts and am excited about more to come...
hiya helena! monkey tea, is tea picked by monkeys ... i look forward to your comments!
Hey Rach, I think i actually know you - you came to newtown mission once and did a bit of presentation on refugees? I think i refer to you as 'refugee rachel' to people like Kari etc? Have i got the right rachel? thank you for reading, hope it was encouraging in some way. Next post is going to be on counseling and god i think ..!
...I find it a lot harder to related to/experience acceptance from "god" than I suspect this women found it to relate to/experience acceptance from Jesus in his body. I also think she was very open, not necessarily because *she* herself was very open. It could have been that her *culture* implied more openness. I'm thinking if I were in that situation, I might just be wierded out by someone making outlandish claims to be the one and to be able to plant springs of living water inside, even if they could tell me all sorts of details about myself...and again, I think this is partially culture--I think we are, perhaps, generally a lot more cynical in the U.S. in 2006 than people in samaria in 0030. But that's just my opinion.
If I put a link to your blog on my home page in the favorite blogs section, should I refrain from Using your name--i.e., is it okay to have the link be entitled "R***'s Blog?" Or are you wanting to keep your name dissociated? I have another friend who wants to do that,and so I link to his blog by the name of his alter ego "Banzai".
oh dear yes that is/was me - and around that period i was doing a bit of a speaking tour around churches in Sydney- Newtown mish was one of the churches with a better reception to what I was speaking on. One church went pretty well until the very end when they worked out many of the refugees are muslim and then one lady said "I think we would only like to assist the christian refugees thanyou"! No such tours these days though with a one year old a part-time job and a Masters to finish...
I look foward to your nest post!
Hey ben, you have great thoughts!I agree - its hard to experience that 'same' experience of acceptance. Jesus isn;t here to look you in eye and say, "I love you, I accept you". But he also says that it's better for him to go than to stay, because then the Spirit can come. I think the spirit does this work in our hearts now when we read the Bible, when we pray, when we pray with eachother; when others minister to us; when we love and serve others; when we worship; when we open our hearts to him. There's no formula of how that happens that i am aware of, of how you should *feel* necessarily when that happens ... but that's why i like stories like this - how people who are not me (ie: don;t have all my hang ups, preconceptions, and baffling thoughts relate to jesus!) ..
About the story with the samaritan woman - she may have been culturally more open than us, but i think it was Jesus's accpetance of her first - in all her sin, that was the point. That's what can break cultural scepticism. God talks alot about humility - to me that's openness. Maybe we in the west, who are meant to have it all together, know all the answers, and always be together and strong, need to learn humility before our maker. And experience his love for us too. I guess that's what the samaritan woman's story is all about ... "Yes! Even You I love and Accept." Enough of my waffle.
Yeah, you can link me to your Blog. I don;t have my name on it because I have lovely youngsters from my work who would write lots of (what I would see as funny because i know them)but others might see as rude comments! Just one of those boundary things when working with young people.
Hey rachel (i will try not to refer to you as refugee rachel!)
Wow, you sound busy girl - a baby (nice!), masters (that's a lot of work), part time work (i agree its a nice 'out' from the day to day), a self sustaining farm (i read your blog) ..... I can't imagine what it would have been like trying to stir up the church to care about the refugees...frustrating? I was one of the ones who thought "YES!" this is important, and did nothing (accept vote against Howard!) ... hmm ... but thank you for coming. Although it did not result in action for me on refugess, it did make me think, and take steps in other directions ....R
Hi Rhea,
I came to your blog from Justin's - I hope you dont mind!
You probably dont know me, but I am a CCSI person....and I actually worked with Rob on the KOFC dvd recently, so there you go, random connections haha...
Anyway, I like your thoughts here Rhea!
Have you ever read (or heard of) the book 'The Sacred Romance'?
Well, if you havent,...
In taking a closer look at the heart of God and our personal relationship with Him, it actually deals with similar things you do here - the fear we have of really being known (and potential shame that may come with that), and therefore putting up a front, pretending, fulfilling the role the world has created for you; and how God not only truely knows us, but also WANTS to! (In the book they refer to this as God the ageless romancer and us as his beloved)
Anyway, there is a lot more that could be said, but this is probably already too long...your post just reminded me of that...
To know and to really be known - an amazing thing tho isnt it?! that He should know us, and want to know us, deeply!
hey thanks chelsea, yes, you are welcome here :)
I'll try and track down that book - it sounds awesome ....
Post a Comment
<< Home