"We Are Simple People"

I've been pondering through one of the quotes that CJ gave at Na: "We are a simple people ..."

Now, God is certainly not calling us to be simpletons, that is, naive or not quite "all there." A rather ugly illustration that comes to mind is the wretched Mr. Skimpole in Charles Dicken's classic Bleak House, who takes perverse delight in demeaning himself as a profoundly naive man ("I am but a child in these matters ..."); sounds humble at first (though with him its more ridiculous), but in the end its just a clever excuse to indulge in leeching off of other people, hang around worthlessly and apathetically, and pretend to be unaware of basic morality. If I was like that, I'd punch myself in the nose.

On the other hand, there is a kind of childlike simplicity that seems to go hand in hand with a sense of the profound. I think of the apostle John, whose Gospel is the most theologically-laden of the four, yet who wrote in the most basic Greek (ideal for first-year Greek students!), in a way understandable to even children, and who constantly returned to the same things. If you want simple and profound, read the letters of John and Revelation! A modern-day example of simple and profound would be C.S. Lewis.

I really long for that kind of simplicity, the simplicity of a child who trusts his Father no matter what, the simplicity that is overwhelmed by awe at seeing a marvelous sunset, or listening to beautiful music, or catching a glimpse of the glory of God in His Word.

In the past little while, there have been a couple of situations where I've come to the Father with dreams that have been "cracked," or even "shattered." To be perfectly honest, I felt confused ... hurt ... and in the more deeply-felt of these two situations, it almost felt as if I'd been punched in the gut. Its sounds stupid (and it probably is), but thats how I felt. So I came to God and asked Him ... "Why?"

Answer?... Silence.

Do I have an answer yet? No. But ... in a way I do have an answer. God reminded me that He truly knows how I feel ... Jesus was a man, like me, and experienced the full range of emotion that I felt. Interestingly enough, I'm finding some of the most comforting verses on Jesus' emotions as a man in the Old Testament prophets (go figure!). God knows ... God cares ... God is wise ... God is good ... and God is in charge.

To paraphrase Dr. Bullmore from last year's Na: I can't see the full panoramic plan of God. I can just trust that He has one, and that it is good. I may never see His plan ... but I can see the hope that He has put in His Word.

Pray for me, that I would realize more and more that I am a simple person, and that this would only drive me closer and closer in communion and trust and prayer with my Father.