I was on a drive to our office in St. George. It's a 35 minute inescapable slice of time I need to carve out of a day that includes the St. George office. Time to think.
I was considering the nature of holiness. It's an area where I've known a few theologians to do some verbal and mental gymnastics because it's such a big idea. Some of them wanted me to believe that God's holiness is evidenced by His perfection. In an effort to explain this idea "holy" they paint a picture of "the most perfect-est ever ever." (Ok that last bit was a paraphrase.)
Their reasoning seemed to be this: He is perfect ergo He is holy. Now I am NOT rejecting either idea (God's holiness or God's perfection) But I am asking a question. What if the two are wholly independent of one another? God is perfect. God is holy.
I just can't get how I am to be holy as God is holy (Lev. 11 et al) IF holy means perfect. I'm human, inherently and definitively imperfect. This is where the gymnastics start. "Well we can never be as holy as God is, but we work toward it as a goal. But it doesn't say "try " or "strive" it says "be."
So I'm going to assume I’m onto something and ask my question: What if holy means true? It would be easy to confuse pure truth with perfection. The holiest of holies = the truest of truth?
I just know I can't be perfect. I can barely do powerless. And even if I was to “exceed my programming” as it were, and act perfect - I'd still have to contend with my motives and choices all the internal dialog that precedes any human action (Our faith is what we choose AND do.) I can't be holy if holy means perfect.
But if holy means true, God loses no ground - He is completely true ever and always. But since truth (in regard to humanity) is always in the process of being revealed, (Bible, Technology etc.) it at least seems plausible that I could be always working to be more true. More true, more aware of what is true about me and around me.
Be true as God is true: May He guide us in all truth.
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"If you don't go within, you go without." Conversations with God - Book 1
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2 comments:
I guess my initial reaction to this is that holy means set apart.
In other words, when God calls us to be holy he is calling us into and identity and community that is uniquely who they are created to be.
Why do we conflate holiness and perfection. Because often our sin is described as a betrayal of our holiness.
Ooooo. This could make for a good post on my blog.
I'm digging your action. Holy, in the hebrew, speaks of morally or ceremonially clean (q'dosh)- i.e. acting according the internal, unblemished code woven into the fabric of the image of God within. "Be true" is a beautiful thought; not sure if it resonates in biblical context with the word for holy, but I am sure it brings life to you and I.
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