Mystery
Stories
THE WONDER OF WORDS: BOOK 2
ONE-HUNDRED MORE WORDS AND PHRASES SHAPING HOW CHRISTIANS THINK AND LIVE
A certain magician worked on a cruise ship between New York City and Bermuda. This magician had a pet parrot who was always ruining his magic act. After the magician made a card disappear, the parrot would say: "He has the card up his sleeve," or, "He slipped it through a hole in his hat." One day there was an explosion in the boiler room and the ship sank. The parrot and the magician found themselves together on a life raft. For three days, the parrot sat silently and stared at the magician. On the third day, the parrot said, "Okay, I give up. What did you do with the ship?"
The disappearance of the ship was a mystery to the parrot. We use the word mystery in two ways. First, we use it when we are talking about something hidden, which we can find out if we use our eyes and open our mouths. Sometimes we call a detective story a "murder mystery." When we begin to read the book, we know if the detective-hero will use his eyes and open his mouth to ask the right questions, the mystery will disappear by the last page. Second, we use the word mystery, in its original sense, to mean something hidden, which makes us close our eyes and our mouths in awe when it is revealed. The word mystery comes from the Greek word "musterion," which, in turn, comes from the Greek verb "muein," meaning to close the eyes and the mouth. When believers talk about the mystery of God, they mean God is incomparable. "To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like?" asked Isaiah. (40:18) In a classic analysis of this awe we feel in the presence of God, Rudolf Otto coined the term "mysterium tremendum fascinans," the mystery that is at once overwhelming and fascinating. When I hear the flippancy of some religious people, Blaise Pascal's words come to mind: "I am astonished at the boldness with which people undertake to speak of God."
The disappearance of the ship was a mystery to the parrot. We use the word mystery in two ways. First, we use it when we are talking about something hidden, which we can find out if we use our eyes and open our mouths. Sometimes we call a detective story a "murder mystery." When we begin to read the book, we know if the detective-hero will use his eyes and open his mouth to ask the right questions, the mystery will disappear by the last page. Second, we use the word mystery, in its original sense, to mean something hidden, which makes us close our eyes and our mouths in awe when it is revealed. The word mystery comes from the Greek word "musterion," which, in turn, comes from the Greek verb "muein," meaning to close the eyes and the mouth. When believers talk about the mystery of God, they mean God is incomparable. "To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like?" asked Isaiah. (40:18) In a classic analysis of this awe we feel in the presence of God, Rudolf Otto coined the term "mysterium tremendum fascinans," the mystery that is at once overwhelming and fascinating. When I hear the flippancy of some religious people, Blaise Pascal's words come to mind: "I am astonished at the boldness with which people undertake to speak of God."
