Earlier today I posted a tweet that read, “GOD - I would rather know Him than about Him. That's why I traded my theology for theognosis.
For my birthday some time ago my wife bought me a real light saber. No, not a cheap flashlight wannabe light saber you buy at Wal-Mart. It had a die cast metal hilt and an actual halogen beam. The hilt was motion sensitive so when you moved it around it would make the wooooo woooo sound. It was freaking awesome.
Darth Vader sits on the edge of my desk right now. Across the room is a great gift my best friend bought me, Darth Tater. It is a Mr. Potato Head that looks like Darth Vader. I have about twenty five Star Wars Posters. My little girl was Darth Vader for Halloween last year. I have seen all of the movies about on hundred times each. I even have and wear Star Wars underwear.
Like I said, I am a hardcore Star Wars fan.
I personally think that George Lucas is a brilliant man. I loved every single Star Wars he made (Yes…even the new ones). To be honest I think George Lucas could make a movie of Luke Skywalker mowing the grass and I would probably think it was incredible.
When you become such a fan of someone you begin to try and learn as much about that person as you can. Because I looked up to and respected George Lucas I began to study his life and learn as much about him as I could. I watched documentaries about his life. I bought books and began to read about him. I even got a photo of him and put him in my office for creative inspiration. I began to learn anything and everything I could about this man.
You know what sucks? Even though I have read all his books, seen all his movies, studied his life, and bought all his merchandise, I have never had a chance to actually meet George Lucas. I only know the little pieces of him that he has put in his biographies.
Never have George and I sat down over coffee and discussed his likes and dislike. I have no idea what his favorite color is. I don’t know what season of the year he enjoys the most. I don’t know if watches sunrises and thinks or goes to bed early. I don’t know if he bags his groceries in paper or plastic. I don’t know if he loves people or they get on his nerves. I don’t know what he wears to the beach. I don’t even know if he likes going to beach. I don’t know if likes to read or watch movies. I have no idea who George Lucas really is. I have a general Georgeology, but no Georgegnosis.
If given the chance to meet George Lucas and take him to coffee and actually “get to know him,” all of the stuff I read about him in my books and all the stuff I learned about him in documentaries would fade in comparison to having a chance to meet the real man.
Now having said that let me see if I can clarify my point. Let’s just say for some crazy reason George Lucas decided he wanted to have a relationship with me. He wanted to be my friend and every Sunday we were going to go to coffee and hang out.
The first time we go to coffee we begin with our silly small talk. Then our conversation moves to deeper discussion about life. He begins to tell me this story of the time he went sailing with his friends. He enlightens me that he likes sailing. He then proceeds to share with me a funny story that happened on his sailing trip. While he is telling the story little pieces of his personality begin to shine through. His humor becomes evident. His attention to the details of the story ring out. His great ability to tell the story becomes noticeable. All of the unseen things that make him an awesome man begin to come clear to me.
I leave our discussion with an new understanding of who George really is. During that short conversation about stuff I began to really get to know George. Not just facts and figures, but personality and person ability. Two things were happening as we talked.
First, I was learning about George- Georgeology or about God- Theology
Second, I was getting to know George- Georgegnosis or getting to know God- Theognosis.
In order to get to know the heart of George or the essence of George I was confronted with the facts of who he is.
Enough about George. Let’s talk God. When I put my focus on getting to know God I naturally begin learning about God. Getting to know Him takes me down paths of learning about Him.
When in this order one naturally leads to the other. Theognosis naturally leads one through theology. However, when they are inverted theology does not always lead one through or to theognosis.
You can study all day long every day about God and not actually know Him. The problem is when you invert these two and put Theology first.
Theognosis speaks to the heart.
Theology speaks to the mind.
This is why I am going back to innocence and trading in my theology for theognosis. If I simply get to know God and fall in love with Him more and more the theology will come. I will no longer live bound to the dogma of crossing my “T’s” and dotting my “I’s” of God. I am letting go of religion and diving into love. Theology is no longer my priority. God/ Love is.
