Transformation - True Knowledge of God

THE WORD IN LENT - 4th week, Friday

March 27, 2020: Wisdom 2: 1A,12-22; John 7: 1-2,10,25-30.
Point for Dialogue #24: Mind for Information and the Spirit of Transformation

The prime question today in the liturgy is "knowing God"... what kind of knowing is truly knowing, when it comes to the knowledge of God? What matters most is not knowing about God, but knowing God. Are we aware of the difference between knowing about God and knowing God? Are we even mindful of the fact that there is a difference! 

Knowing about, is information and Knowing, is transformation. These days going through the crisis of the present pandemic, we see every day (also because people are all shut down into their houses) a flood of information - right, wrong and worthless alike. People look for it and keep spreading it... simply because the human mind is curious for information. Will those information alone save the situation? Coming back to the theme of the Word today...

Knowing philosophical concepts and theological finer points is merely information, but allowing those to affect our lives, forming our values based on those and living a life that is coherent to our beliefs is more than mere knowledge; it is more than just knowing about God; it is knowing God! The Word invites us today for a dialogue between that curiosity of our mind for information and the readiness of our spirit for transformation.

The people in the Gospel today, knew so much about God, but they did not know God when God really lived and moved amidst them. Knowing the biblical verses by heart and quoting them in season and out of season, reflecting on the depths of theological ruminations and reaching the heights of mystical formulations will not guarantee true knowledge of God. 

Jesus says of God: "I know the Father because I am from the Father" and that is the true knowledge of God. Knowing God is to belong to God, to be open to God's promptings, to listen to the Word and to see God's will in it, ever ready to accept, live and stand for God's plan, will and design. To carry out God's will is the direct route to true happiness; it arises from right rapport with God translated into right, respectful, just, genuine and loving relationships, in our daily living.