Searching for God Knows What

1. Formulas Fail: Embrace the Complexity of Faith and Life

Reality is like a fine wine,” he said to me. “It will not appeal to children.

The Allure of Formulas. The book begins with the author's experience at a Christian writers' seminar, where he learns about formulas for writing successful Christian books. These formulas promise a step-by-step approach to creating books that resonate with the Christian market, offering a sense of control and predictability. However, the author quickly realizes that these formulas feel incompatible with the complexities of life and faith.

The Limits of Reductionism. The author reflects on the inadequacy of formulas in addressing the deeper questions of existence. He observes that life is a complex tapestry of experiences, emotions, and relationships that cannot be easily reduced to a set of steps. He questions whether such a complex existence can truly be broken down into a few simple steps.

Embracing Reality. The author learns a valuable lesson from a successful businessman who compares reality to fine wine, suggesting that it requires maturity and experience to appreciate its nuances. This realization leads the author to abandon the pursuit of formulas and embrace the complexities of life and faith, recognizing that true understanding comes from engaging with reality as it is, rather than trying to force it into a predetermined mold.

2. God-Impostors: The Danger of Misrepresenting the Divine

The very scary thing about religion, to me, is that people actually believe God is who they think He is.

The Problem of Misrepresentation. The author explores the dangers of believing that God is who we think He is, rather than who He truly is. He points out that many people reject God because they cannot reconcile their idea of Him with the idea presented by televangelists, conservative talking heads, and other religious figures who misrepresent His character. These "God-impostors" often promote a small, self-serving god who validates their own identities and prejudices.

The Death of Santa Claus. The author shares his personal experience of disillusionment with Santa Claus, which serves as a metaphor for the dangers of believing in a false image of God. He realizes that Santa Claus, like many popular conceptions of God, is an impostor who does not wash his hands after using the bathroom. This realization leads him to question the authenticity of other religious figures and their claims to represent God.

The Need for Discernment. The author emphasizes the importance of discernment in recognizing and rejecting God-impostors. He encourages readers to examine the character and actions of religious leaders, and to question whether they truly reflect the love, grace, and justice of Jesus Christ. He argues that true faith requires a willingness to challenge our own assumptions about God and to seek a deeper understanding of His true nature.

3. Beyond the Car Wash: Discovering a Relational God

You don’t exist,” I told Him.

Renouncing a Limited Faith. The author recounts his experience of renouncing his faith as a teenager, realizing that the God he had believed in was more of an idea than a person. This "idea-god" was a system of beliefs that made him feel right, but did not offer any real answers to the deeper questions of life. He renounces this limited faith at a car wash, telling God that He doesn't exist.

The Fear of Absence. After renouncing his faith, the author experiences a sense of fear and vulnerability, feeling as though he has been removed from God's protection. This experience leads him to question his decision and to wonder whether he has made a mistake. He realizes that he had been removed from His protection.

A God Who Makes Sense of Life. The author begins to realize that the God of the Bible, not the God of formulas and bullet points, has a great deal to say to him. He finds that the God of the Bible, and for that matter the Bible itself, starts making sense of his deepest emotions, quirks, and sense of brokenness. He realizes that Christian spirituality fits his soul like a key.

4. The Language of the Heart: Scripture as Art and Truth

Although their access to scholarly tools was primitive compared to what is available in our day, their method of biblical interpretation was in some ways more sophisticated and certainly more psychologically astute, in that they were better able to fathom the complex, integrative, and transformative qualities of revelation.

Beyond Formulas. The author reflects on the limitations of formulaic approaches to Scripture, recognizing that they often miss the deeper meaning and emotional resonance of the text. He begins to appreciate the Bible as a work of art, filled with stories, poems, and historical accounts that speak to the human heart. He realizes that the writers of the Bible were not simply trying to convey information, but to communicate truth in a way that engages the whole person.

The Power of Poetry. The author learns from a professor that Moses, unlike most writers in Scripture, would stop the narrative to break into poetry, a kind of poetry called parallelism. He said the way Moses wrote wasn’t unlike the way people who write musicals stop the story every once in a while to break into song. The reason Moses would do this, according to John Sailhamer, is because there are emotions and situations and tensions that a human being feels in his life but can’t explain. And poetry is a literary tool that has the power to give a person the feeling he isn’t alone in those emotions, that, though there are no words to describe them, somebody understands.

A Whole Message to a Whole Human Being. The author concludes that the gospel of Jesus is not simply a set of ideas to be memorized, but a message communicated to the heart as much as to the head. He argues that the methodology of communication is as important as the message itself, and that the ideas cannot be presented accurately outside the emotion within which the truths are embedded. He wonders if the ancient Hebrews would have understood this intrinsically, if they would have sat around watching plays and reading poems knowing this is where real truth lies.

5. Naked and Unashamed: The Loss of Eden and the Search for Glory

Sitting there in Yosemite thinking about Adam and Eve being naked made me wonder if I would be comfortable in the Garden.

Reimagining Paradise. The author takes a trip to Yosemite, which inspires him to reimagine the Garden of Eden as a vast and natural landscape, rather than a small and idyllic cottage. He reflects on the story of Adam and Eve, considering their relationship with God and their experience of the Fall. He realizes that the Garden of Eden wasn't anything like he'd imagined.

The Significance of Nudity. The author focuses on the detail that Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed before the Fall, and that they became aware of their nakedness immediately after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. He interprets this as a sign that their relationship with God had been broken, and that they had lost their sense of glory and security. He says that people before the Fall were naked and weren’t ashamed.

The Search for Glory. The author concludes that the Fall led to a fundamental shift in human nature, causing people to seek their glory and validation from sources other than God. He argues that this is the root cause of many of our problems, including our tendency to compare ourselves to others, our obsession with external appearances, and our pursuit of worldly success. He believes that Moses was explaining all of humanity, right there in Genesis chapter 3.

6. Children of Chernobyl: The Wounds of a World at War

I have to say that you and I were not supposed to be this way.

The Reality of War. The author reflects on the events of 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, recognizing the devastating impact of war on individuals and societies. He sees war as a manifestation of a deeper spiritual conflict, a battle between good and evil that has been raging since the beginning of time. He says that the fall of man, when Adam and Eve ate from that tree, occurred because there was a war going on.

The Children of Chernobyl. The author uses the image of the children of Chernobyl, who were born with physical deformities as a result of the nuclear disaster, as a metaphor for the spiritual wounds that all humans carry as a result of the Fall. He believes that our souls are born distorted, and that none of us are truly happy in the way we were supposed to be. He says that you and I were not supposed to be this way.

A Spiritual War. The author concludes that we are all living in the wreckage of a terrible act of war, and that this war is still being waged today, against what Scripture calls the principalities of darkness. He believes that the Trinity is praying for us, for all of us as we deal with the evil one, who, Scripture teaches, roams about like a lion, searching for a kill. He didn't feel any fear in his dream.

7. The Alien Perspective: Comparing Ourselves to One Another

Humans, as a species, are constantly, and in every way, comparing themselves to one another, which, given the brief nature of their existence, seems an oddity and, for that matter, a waste.

The Alien's Observation. The author imagines an alien visiting Earth and observing human behavior. The alien would notice that humans are constantly comparing themselves to one another, seeking validation and worth from external sources. This constant comparison drives their social interactions, emotional well-being, and even their greatest tragedies.

The Missing Piece. The alien would recognize that humans are missing something essential, something that once provided them with a sense of identity and purpose. This missing piece has led them to seek validation from each other, creating a system of competition and hierarchy that is both destructive and unsustainable. This thing missing inside me, I realized, is something God would go to great length to explain in His Bible.

The Television Test. The author imagines the alien watching television with him and his roommate, Grant. The alien would be baffled by the plots of most shows, which revolve around characters seeking validation and success in the eyes of others. The alien would see that human beings are obsessed with an invisible hierarchy, constantly striving to climb the social ladder and prove their worth.

8. Lifeboat Ethics: The Peril of a World Without God

If there were a lifeboat adrift at sea, and in the lifeboat were a male lawyer, a female doctor, a crippled child, a stay-at-home mom, and a garbageman, and one person had to be thrown overboard to save the others, which person would we choose?

The Lifeboat Scenario. The author recalls a childhood lesson in which his teacher asked the class to decide who should be thrown overboard from a lifeboat to save the others. This scenario serves as a metaphor for the harsh realities of a world without God, where people are forced to compete for limited resources and make difficult choices about who has value and who doesn't.

The Consequences of Comparison. The author argues that the constant comparison and competition that characterize human society are a direct result of the Fall. In the absence of God's love and validation, people seek to establish their worth by comparing themselves to others, leading to feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and resentment. He says that if we aren’t in a lifeboat, that is, if these things aren’t true and if this story isn’t happening to us, then emotions like pride, jealousy, distrust, and embarrassment should be foreign to us.

The Need for a New Perspective. The author concludes that the lifeboat mentality is a dangerous and destructive way of thinking. He calls for a new perspective, one that is grounded in the love and grace of God, and that recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. He says that what we really need is God.

9. Jesus: The Antithesis of the Lifeboat Mentality

If you ask me, the way to tell if a person knows God for real, I mean knows the real God, is that they will fear Him.

A Different Kind of King. The author explores the personality of Jesus, recognizing that He was unlike anyone else who had ever lived. He sees Jesus as the antithesis of the lifeboat mentality, a person who had no regard for worldly status, power, or possessions. He says that if Jesus was coming from a place where all emotional needs were met by God, His social economy would be as shocking and different as the social economy in the Garden or on whatever planet the alien came from.

The Upside-Down Kingdom. The author notes that Jesus often challenged the values and priorities of His day, elevating the poor and marginalized while humbling the rich and powerful. He points out that Jesus was always, and I mean always, talking about love, about people, about relationship, and He never once broke anything into steps or formulas.

A Compelling Figure. The author concludes that Jesus was a compelling figure who offered a radical alternative to the lifeboat mentality. He sees Jesus as a source of hope and inspiration, a person who can help us to break free from the cycle of comparison and competition and to live a life of love, grace, and compassion.

10. The Gospel of Jesus: An Invitation, Not a Formula

After the writers seminar, and after my friend told me reality was like fine wine, I started reading the Bible very differently.

Beyond Bullet Points. The author reflects on the limitations of presenting the gospel as a set of bullet points or formulas. He realizes that the gospel is more than just a list of facts to be memorized; it is an invitation to a relationship with Jesus Christ. He says that if the gospel of Jesus is just some formula I obey in order to get taken off the naughty list and put on a nice list, then it doesn’t meet the deep need of the human condition, it doesn’t interact with the great desire of my soul, and it has nothing to do with the hidden (or rather, obvious) language we all are speaking.

A Relational Dynamic. The author emphasizes the relational nature of the gospel, arguing that it is about knowing and being known by God. He says that becoming a Christian does not work more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of true principles.

A Beautiful Invitation. The author concludes that the gospel of Jesus is a beautiful invitation to know God, to experience His love and grace, and to live a life of purpose and meaning. He says that the gospel of Jesus was a message that was relevant to that need.

11. A Circus of Redemption: Finding Beauty in Brokenness

I’m gonna be where the lights are shinin’ on me: Like a rhinestone cowboy Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo.

The Allure of the Circus. The author reflects on his childhood fascination with the circus, recognizing that it offered a temporary escape from the ordinary and a glimpse into a world of wonder and excitement. He sees the circus as a metaphor for the human desire for validation and attention, a desire that is often misdirected and unfulfilled.

The Sideshow of Life. The author draws a parallel between the circus sideshow and the various roles and identities that people adopt in life, seeking to stand out and gain recognition. He realizes that we are all, in a way, performers in a sideshow, trying to impress others with our unique talents and abilities. He says that the circus, and I am talking about life now, really sucks.

A Circus of Redemption. The author concludes that true redemption is not found in the applause of the crowd, but in the love and acceptance of God. He says that Jesus offers us a way out of the circus, a way to break free from the cycle of performance and validation and to find true meaning and purpose in His love.

12. Morality: Love, Not Rules, Is the Guiding Principle

I know men; and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man.

The Problem with Rules. The author explores the limitations of morality as a set of rules and regulations, recognizing that it can often lead to legalism, judgment, and a lack of compassion. He says that if we do not emphasize morality, people will have too much fun and refuse to play by the rules the rest of us who know God have to play by.

Morality as Imitation. The author begins to see morality in less conceptual terms, less as a system of rules and regulations and more as a concept very beautiful and alive. He says that morality, then, if you think about it, is the way we imitate God.

Love as the Guiding Principle. The author concludes that love, not rules, should be the guiding principle of our lives. He says that if we are preaching morality without Christ, and using war rhetoric to communicate a battle mentality, we are fighting on Satan’s side. He argues that true morality is rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that it is expressed through acts of love, compassion, and service to others.

Last updated: March 11, 2025