February 11: God will Always be a Mystery
Who you think God is, God isn’t. No, God is never who we think he should be. Richard Rohr
Gregg’s Reflection
As much as I heard about prayer in church, no one really taught me how to pray. It was a layman on a men’s retreat who first introduced me to meditation. Slowly, I learned to sit in silence, to breathe in and out with Scripture—often using the words from John 14:27: “My peace I give to you” on the inhale, “Jesus, give me your peace” on the exhale. Over time, peace began to take root in my heart.
Reading the saints, mystics, and desert fathers and mothers, I began to see clues for living a life with God. Julian of Norwich’s words especially startled me: God is the ground of our praying. Even our desire to pray begins with Him. This turns prayer from something I do into a response to something God has already begun.
The deeper I’ve gone, the more I’ve realized that God will always remain mystery—infinitely knowable, yet never fully grasped. Embracing that mystery has freed me from the need to explain and given me permission to simply rest in His presence.
Scripture
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure.
Ephesians 1:8–10
Ancient Quotes
I am the Ground of your praying. First, it is my will that you have something, and next I make you want it, and afterward I cause you to pray for it. If you pray for it, how then could it be that you would not get what you asked for?” — Julian of Norwich, Complete Julian, p. 191
In whom shall I find repose but in the human who is peaceful and humble.
St Ambrose, Martin Laird, Ocean of Light, p. 27
Modern Quotes
The Divine compassion can begin to operate, for once your being has become inwardly gentled and peaceable, those qualities of aliveness will flow out to others as a spontaneous healing and delight. I am not only able to wake up from my own fog but also to share that fresh breeze of awakening with those around me.
Cynthia Bourgeault, Wisdom Way of Knowing, p. 112
Who you think God is, God isn’t. No, God is never who we think he should be.
Richard Rohr, On the Threshold of Transformation, p. 64
Journaling Prompts
- How do you respond to the mystery of God—fear, wonder, trust?
- Where have you experienced God’s presence without fully understanding it?
- How might you embrace mystery instead of trying to solve it?
- Will your life be rooted in prayer so you can follow where the Spirit leads?
Contemplative practice opens the door to the presence of God. Prayer moves from asking God, to listening for what God asks of us. For more on contemplative life and practice, see these posts, and find eleven more on specific practices on the website.
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 6 Reflection: Contemplative Life & Practice