The other day my five-year-old son made an important announcement: ‘I know everything now, so I can stop going to school.’
‘Actually, only God knows everything,’ I replied. My son looked at me doubtfully … ‘Wellll …’ He was not convinced.
When I first began working in Christian media, as editor of Soul Purpose magazine, I developed a habit of checking my conscience before God when I was writing an article—ensuring my words reflected what I believed was the truth. Every now and again I got feedback that would cause me to check my conscience again. And sometimes it required that most uncomfortable of feelings: taking on board another point of view.
What I find fascinating—and ultimately enriching—about Christianity is that we never stop learning. There is such a depth and breadth of opinion we can have, while still remaining within the boundaries of orthodoxy. There is very little that cannot be debated, discussed and even disagreed on. This speaks to me of a boundless God that cannot be contained by us—whose ways and thoughts are indeed far beyond our own.
It also speaks to me of the depth of God’s love for us—that we know so little; we are bound to be wrong about so much—and yet God is gracious with us. Sometimes we are like my five-year-old, saying, ‘I know everything now, so …’ And I imagine God patting us on the head and quietly chuckling.
Ultimately, our only goal is to become more and more like Jesus. May we continue to learn how to do this together.
Ingrid Barratt
Editor
Isaiah 55:9
‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’
Īhāia 55:9
‘Tā te mea e ikeike ake ana te rangi i te whenua, waihoki ko oku huarahi e ikeike ake ana i ō koutou huarahi, ko ōku whakaaro i ō koutou whakaaro.’