Knowing
“True knowledge changes us. “If only I had known,” can also mean, “If only I had been a different person.” Knowledge, in this biblical sense, is much deeper than the collecting and management of facts. In biblical terms, we know by participation or communion. When Christ says of his detractors that they do not know God, he dismisses their mastery of the facts (“And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.” John 16:3) Those who accused Christ and urged the Romans to crucify Him, not only knew the facts of the Jewish faith – they were experts. Had the “facts of the case” been an issue, then Christ would have engaged in argument and debate. As it is, He only engaged their taunts and questions with answers that put them off – and put off His crucifixion until the time was ripe. But the disciples, and those who sought true knowledge from Him, received very different responses – not always easily understood – but always leading them towards the true knowledge that transforms and saves.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“The experience of Christ is an act of faith, it is not really based on any kind of ‘proof.’ Proof as such (the empty tomb) did little to help the Myrrhbearing Women or the Apostles understand the resurrection. There also has to be a desire in our hearts to know love, to know truth, to know God. That desire leads us to the Risen Lord. A pilgrimage to His Tomb became very popular over time, but the reality is the same – He is not to be found at His empty tomb, but alive in our hearts and in the midst of all those who assemble together to give Him thanks, to hear the Gospel proclaimed and rightly interpreted, and to receive His Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Faith is not quite the same as knowledge, which is based on facts and proof. Faith requires an openness to the unexpected, a willingness to accept that not every truth (like love or beauty) is based in proofs, but might represent a dimension to life beyond the empirical.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“Imagine a scholar who spends a lifetime studying the resurrection of Jesus Christ and never attends a Pascha service. She might know more about the facts, information, and different ways of viewing the resurrection than all the other worshippers combined. She is committed to learning even more. Yet, by her never-ending study will never come to the truth of the Risen Christ…They know so much, yet they comprehend so little, because their knowledge remains in their heads and rarely reaches their hearts.” (Fr. Basil, Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky)
“Embracing God and His Kingdom requires more than processing information—even information revealed in Scripture…Christianity is not a “collection” of facts, figures and statistics. It is a way of life guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit, lived in communion with God and His People. Important as information about the faith may be, it is formation in the faith that is essential. Information alone is not enough to “convince” someone that the Gospel is indeed good news.” (Joseph Kormos)
“Our culture has filled our heads but emptied our hearts, stuffed our wallets but starved our wonder. It has fed our thirst for facts but not for meaning or mystery…Christian faith not only puts us on the right path...it also brings us into a relationship with a Person. Aligning our minds with the facts and accepting Christianity as true is an excellent first step, but that alone does not accomplish what God has in mind for us. He wants us to know him personally.” (Peter Kreeft, Thomas Williams)
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