Mystery: Hidden and Revealed

I love this picture. I think that an iceberg is a great picture of mystery.. ten percent above the water.. the rest hidden below it. Do you like the idea of mystery or are you uncomfortable with it. I am a bit of each.. my head wants to understand everything.. my heart seems to be a bit willing to live without that understanding. It reminds me of this passage:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:24-27)

Paul speaks about a mystery that was hidden for millenniums.. a secret that even the most discerning intellectuals could not uncover.. a truth that only came (and comes) by divine revelation. Paul tells us that this revealed mystery is Christ in us.. and it is glorious. Isn't it interesting how, when we look back, this truth doesn't seem to be mysterious at all. I guess that is just the nature of the timeline of the kingdom.. mystery is relevant.. once revealed the mystery is no longer a mystery.

Paul often speaks of mystery in his writings.. he again speaks about this mystery in this passage:

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1Corinthians 2:7-11)

I love that it says that we cannot even imagine what God has prepared for us - our minds are unable to see it. We read that the Holy Spirit is the agent of this revelation.. He can unfold the mystery to us.. as with Peter only He can reveal Jesus to us as the Christ.

I guess my hope for us today is that our hearts will, in a small way, give room for mystery.. living our lives embracing the mysteries of suffering.. indeed, embracing the mysteries of His kingdom ways. There is so much that we do not know yet.. so much of that divine iceberg to discover.