I'm reading a book by Oliver Davies and he is smart....like really smart...so smart I've had to read paragraphs 2 and 3 times to get the jist of what the heck he is saying. And what he is saying is really interesting...I just wish he weren't so smart that I can barely grasp what he is saying without reading it 3 times.
But we can grow through the struggle, I suppose. So what he's saying is that although Christians like to claim that God created this world, we leave a lot of the implications of this reality 'on the table' so to speak. We have definite ways of talking about the world, but we've in large part, allowed the conversation about the world to be played in the materialist's playground and therefore when we talk about the world as created by God, the terms get fuzzy and mystical and probably confusing. Which, when we talk about something where God plays a large part (like Him creating the world and stuff) we have to allow for some mystery because God, from what we know of Him, does not submit to being put under a microscope or pinned next to a butterfly on one of those things that butterflys get pinned to.
I'm surprised that I'm familiar with some of the ideas that the author is writing about, but I've just never heard them put in such a learn-ed way before - I'm also surprised I haven't given up on it in favor of something easier.. but I suppose the challenge is attractive... tho making it all the way to page 8 in the last 2 weeks is not so inspiring. hmmmm... I better buckle down and get on the stick so I can have chapter 1 under my belt before my birthday! lol
Another theme that the book is going to be exploring is Jesus as the creative Word. The Bible says that all things were created through Him and will be summed up in Him (among other things). Big ideas, but I've never been able to even come close to making sense out of them, tho to be honest, I've never tried that hard. I'm hoping that Davies will be helpful in this (once I find the key to deciphering his academic-speak).
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