Over our head

Believers say things about God: it is a primary way we express our faith and it is the basis of what we call Theology (which comes from the Greek words for God and word).

We do it so much that sometimes we get a bit too careless or even flippant in what we say.

In today’s first reading (Job 9:1-12, 14-16), we are reminded of the radical inequality between ourselves and God.

Job answered and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!

Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.

If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

We need to remember to be continuously humble before God and thankful for the gift of his creation, his revelation and his grace through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that enables us – finite creatures that we are – to speak of the One who is Eternal, Infinite, and Almighty.