Let's bridge the Gap with God, shall we?

I remember when I was in Singapore, one unforgettable moment when ministering the children back then was at that particular moment, in a Bible Quiz session. At that time, there were several questions posted. Witty as it may seems, a innocence's child kept on shouting, "Jesus". Yes, every answer of the Bible is Jesus. He thought he was the fastest who answered, he will get the grand-prize! If Jesus is the answer, what's then the questions? Everything! When a small and energetic children shouting out loud and responding every questions with Jesus, as answer, was very adorable, I feel. But how about when they growing up, they keep on answering all problems with Jesus? can we give the same noble appreciation as before? The phenomena of "easy believer" or what I called, "lazy answer" was very evident. Many Christians grow without a solid foundation or skill to answer questions in life. 

All they know is Jesus. Not his significance, His message, His person. What left is only a mere utterance and words. Jesus become mantra-like. God, become the God of the Gap of every questions available in life. Why atom move in irregular fashion? God. Why elephant cannot jump? God. Why number exist? God. We can post another questions, and the answer is still God. It is true that if we believe in God, God would never asked a question that we won't find the answer. The ultimate question of Old Testament has been answered in the New Testament. Although God is the greatest reality and of course, He is also the ultimate answer for faith questions and many other questions in nature since He is the creator and sustainer yet on the other hand, not all answer should be answered with God only. 

Discernment is needed. There are long answer and short answer. Direct answer and direct answer of everything which is not simple as just saying, "God make it. God cause it. "God!" full stop. Even God Himself, as truly as it is, grants us mind to explore deep the questions. Otherwise, there will be no thousand years of church history and Theology and also, philosophy. The nature of Christ himself has bewildered the greatest brain and mind for 400 years and more! Does it mean that God communicate His message in fuzzy manner? Nay, His message is deep. Our mind is shallow. Need a thousand minds across the century to scrutinize and to extract the bit of essence of His truth from nature and also His special revelation. This fact does not scare but should rather motivate us. Also that very fact of the deepness does not also  try to sway us to just answer that's it, the Bible tell me so, just believe. The bridge of every gap is God, do you copy?

In the book of Job 40:7, God challenged Job to give an answer so he can have a better perspectives on suffering. However the answer for Job suffering does not bring the final conclusion but open ended conversation. The answer is not God but something beyond Job's comprehension. At least, he grow in his attitude of blaming God. This ace method actually grasped by Socrates. Almost all we know about Socrates come from Plato. From Plato we learn that Socrates was very active, engaging in conversation in Athens without end. Socratic Method of questioning-answer open to a greater answer than a mere short one. He is the master of the art of dialogue. No one can doubt that. We might asks, why this great treasure of the past failed to be practiced by us today? Simple. As Hegel once said, the greatest lesson from history is that we never learn history. The story was there all the time. We heard about Socrates, we have our Bible very well. Sadly, we do not read them, reflect and also apply it. Through constant dialogue like what God did to Job, we can confirm our very fundamental belief and challenge it deeper to gain in depth perspectives. That's why I always love to asked the opinion of others especially from people who hold the different perspective, so I will not fall into a trap of giving a lazy answer. I think, I have been touching the quite similar issue over and over again in previous writing. 

The other part of the problem is our failure to know the nature of question. In every question there are several layers we should note before hand. Aristotle divide the layer into 4 realities. First, Material causes  (matter) which refer to stuff out of which something made. Second, Formal causes (essence), the defining characteristics of the thing. Final cause, the purpose of the thing. Efficient cause, the antecedent that brought thing about. Therefore, to answer everything with God as quick as possible even in theological questions is not enough. Take for instance, who was the person who make C.S Lewis to convert to Christian Faith? People can answer, God. That's true. Without Holy Spirit, people cannot be regenerated and will never come to faith. However, historically we know one of the greatest influence in Lewis's decision to believe in God was because of J.R Tolkien and arguably from the writing of his mentor, George MacDonald, a Christian writer and poet. The other link that connect all his spiritual Journey was G.K Chesterton, through his work, The Everlasting  Man. 

Many atheists brush widely the contour of Christian life by saying that all Christian always play God-Hypotheses. Dawkins says, for theism the answer is always God. If apparent gap is found, it is assumed that God is the answer. Probably, the earliest use of the God-of The gaps terminology was began to used by Henry Drummond. He wrote in 1894: "There are reverent minds who ceaselessly scan the fields of nature and the books of science in search of Gaps-gaps which they will fill up with God. As if Gods lives in the gaps?" There are some truth from the accusation of atheist yet also a bit of off the board because God is also the only possible answer (although not necessary to all question in life) especially the question of origin, meaning, morality and destiny. God is not unreasonable hypothesis, so to speak.

The statement from German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer give us a further wisdom as he says, God did do it because He did it all but He is not Newton Stop-Gap." The answer of science or in any other knowledge on every gap does not make God necessary smaller. Don't be afraid. If we put God in every gap that's the true sense of making Him smaller than he is. Take for instance this incident. The question of Holocausts in the past cannot be easily answered, with God only.  The deep thinker and Jews even think that God was not there at that very moment somehow. This answer is a another rational possibility apart from the other solution of Theodicy one might well suggests and offer. If we answer simple as "God" only, we will fail to see the deep tragedy of that event and also fail to grasp the essence of God as love toward His own people. To answer God punish the sin of his people is bit too much because we can ask, "does the punishment fit the crime?" can we say this is the question of anthropology more than theology? We need a greater thought and long answer for sure. Well, but thus far, I hope the discussion does not block us or threatening us from answering question with "God" as the answer. If God is the best answer to the question so be it. Just that we now know, the bridge and the gap of questions in life cannot be easily filled by God of the Gap and by not doing that is not at all a sin.