Oh, What a Marvelous Mystery

“Oh, what a marvelous mystery.” These were the words I heard Dan whisper as he walked back to his seat holding the Eucharistic elements of bread and cup.

“Oh, what a marvelous mystery.”

These five little words rang beautifully in my ear. Dan had just said more about the Eucharist in that statement than I could have if I prepared an eloquent speech for it.

“Oh, what a marvelous mystery.”

That’s our faith, though, isn’t it? A marvelous mystery.

Some use the language of paradox, some use the language of non-sense, and these are great, but for most of Church history we have used the language of mystery when discussing our faith. Weekly churches all around the world recite the Mystery of Faith:

 “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

In Greek the word for sacraments is “mysterion,” or mysteries. A marvelous mystery.

-|||-

Growing up I constantly had people trying to explain how different aspects of the faith worked. They tried to explain the Trinity, they tried to explain how the Eucharist was the body and blood of Christ, they tried to explain how the grace given in those moments made us the body of Christ in the world redeemed by his blood, and they tried to explain countless other aspects of the faith. I think that’s what started to drive me away from the faith at times: there was too much of an attempt at explaining things that couldn’t be explained, they could only be experienced.

These deep divine mysteries of our faith, they can’t be explained, at least not well. They can only be experienced.

I cannot describe the Trinity other than through means of the Athanasian Creed. And even that is cumbersome and doesn’t do the Trinity full justice, but I can tell you how I’ve been invited into the divine community of the Trinity. I can show you Rublev’s Trinity Icon, I can show you where the mirror was on the leg of the table in the icon, and I can show you how when you approach the table where God sits you would’ve been able to see yourself invited into that community to participate in the feast of God with God forever more.

I can’t explain how God is Trinity and how grace is to be found through bread and cup, but I can invite you into the experience of the mystery (I realized I just tried to explain some, though. The irony is not lost on me).

How does bread and cup become the body and blood of Christ? No idea. I can’t explain it. I can only tell you how I’ve experienced this mystery to be true.

How does baptism seal us and set us apart? No idea. I can’t explain it. I can only tell you how this mystery has been true in my life.

How did the resurrection work? No idea. I can’t explain it. It’s a deep mystery. I can, however, invite you into the mystery of living as resurrection people.

I mean no offense to my left-brained friends, but it seems at times the evangelical church has tried too hard to explain the faith rather than inviting people into it to experience it. We have attempted to explain away the mystery, but we can’t.

People will come to know Christ not because we can thoroughly and adequately explain how the incarnation was possible, but because they have come to experience the reality of this divine mystery. Lives are changed because God somehow meets us where we are through means of bread and cup and gives us grace upon grace upon grace. Lives are changed because somehow Christ dwells within his people as they are the body of Christ to the world redeemed by his blood.

This blog post can only do so much. I am attempting to explain the beauty of the mysteries of our faith. Again, it’s ironic what I’m trying to do. It’s like trying to describe to you the beauty of the Portland Head Light as it sits as a strong beacon of hope as the waves crash against the rock. I could say wonderful things about it, but it’ll never compare to seeing the scene in person.

I invite you to do just that. Experience the mystery in person. Don’t just take my word for it. Enter into some of the mysteries of our faith: contemplative prayer, meditation, the Eucharist, the daily hours, lectio divina, or something else.

Oh, what a marvelous mystery that Christ would meet with us. When words fail, mystery invites us deeper into the faith.

When words fail, mystery invites us deeper into the faith. Click To Tweet

-|||-

Dan did it more justice than I am doing it currently. Rather than attempting to explain anything, he just received the mystery which was given to him. He allowed it to affect his life and give him hope for tomorrow. Dan realized the mystery cannot be explained away, it can only be embraced.

May we live into the mysteries of our faith. May we be okay with wonder. May we receive that which cannot be explained.