The Unanswerable Question

March 9, 2012  David Murray   4 comments

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“Will I need an umbrella in Grand Rapids tomorrow?”

Siri: “There’s no rain in the forecast for tomorrow.”

“When was Gettysburg?”

Siri: “I found this for you.”

“What’s the speed of light?”

Siri: “Let me check that for you. This might answer your question.”

“What is God?”

Siri: “I would ask that you address your spiritual questions to someone more qualified to comment, ideally a human.

“What…is…God?”

Siri: “My policy is the separation of church and silicon.”

“WHAT IS GOD!?”

Siri: “It’s all a mystery to me.”

Actually it’s all a mystery to just about everybody. Libraries have been filled by people trying to answer the question, and most of the books have left us none the wiser.

“What is God?”  This is the question no one can answer, isn’t it!

Well, actually, the Westminster Shorter Catechism had a stab at it and while acknowledging it’s not a complete answer, it’s probably the best brief answer anyone has ever given. Question 4 asks “What is God?” and the catechism answers:

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

We’re taught three truths about God here. First, God is Unfathomable. The first words bring us face to face with the immeasurable mystery of God’s being. He is a spirit – he can’t be seen or touched. He is infinite – He can’t be measured. He is eternal – He has no beginning or end. He is unchangeable – no ups, no downs, no developing, no weakening.

Want to blow your mind? Just pick one of these words and think on them for a few minutes. God is Unfathomable – we will never reach the end of knowledge about God. We will never say, “O, I get it now!”

Second, God is Understandable. Some people have heard “God is unfathomable,” and said, “O well, there’s no point in even trying to understand God. But the wonderful thing is that God has made Himself known using words, ideas, and concepts that we can actually grasp. The catechism speaks of God as wise, powerful, holy, just, good, and truthful. We can get that, can’t we. That takes some of the mystery out of it. We’ll never get to the end of God, but these words get us to the beginning.

Third, and this is huge relief, our God is Unique. Catechism 5 asks, “Are there more gods than one?” Answer: “There is but only, the living and true God.” We don’t need to get to know any other god! Because there is only one. Oh, there are many called gods, but they are neither living nor true. They are dead and false. There’s only one true and living God, and that’s the one we’re focusing on.

So, our God is Unfathomable, Understandable, and Unique.

If you know that, like the men who wrote the catechism over 400 years ago, you know more than Siri!

Thanks to my son Angus who is filming and editing this series. To view the previous films click here. 

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  • http://asmallwork.posterous.com Ryan

    Thanks for the video, David (and Angus)!

    I’m going through the Children’s Catechism (a preparation for the Shorter Catechism with which you may be familiar) with my young daughter. I was hoping you could help me think through one of the questions that I have up to this point edited in my discussion.

    Question 9 asks: What is God? The answer: God is a spirit and has not a body like a man. (This question/answer follows on the heels of questions such as Are there more gods than one? In how many persons does this one God exist? What are they?

    Here’s my problem: Jesus took on a body and, if I understand the Scripture correctly, still has a body “like a man.” Since the second person of the Trinity now has a body, isn’t this Q/A (gulp) wrong?

    I’ve been changing the question to: “What is God the Father?” And I feel comfortable with the given answer in that case.

    I’d love your thoughts/help.

    • http://headhearthand.org/blog/ David Murray

      Good point Ryan. You are right. God indeed now does have a body, in the person of His Son. The catechism is not wrong if it is speaking of the Fatherhood of God as you say) or of God considered apart from sin and the plan of salvation (pre-time). God does not have a body as an essential part of his being. The incarnation was a voluntary act of God rather than a necessary and required act of God.

      • http://asmallwork.posterous.com Ryan

        Thanks, David! I’ll continue with my awkward edit of that catechism, then…

        I appreciate your time and help.

  • http://www.reelcastproductions.com John-Clay

    Great video and article! Very clever and an even better point!

    I really like your closing line, “If you know this…you know more than Siri.”

    …oh, and great work Angus!