The Cyber Kazbá

This first time my interest was pricked with this topic was when I encountered Jurgen Moltmann's writings. But even more so throughout my graduate studies, especially in my study of Genesis. At first, the idea of God hurting might not seem all that tricky, certainly as Christians we understand the pain that Jesus went through and we know that God is not a stranger to pain. But the question still remains, how can an all powerful, all knowing entity get hurt. The two ideas seem incongruent. Either God could be strong enough to overcome the pain or He could foresee the problem and stop it before it starts. Yet we see time and time again that God is hurt. The most explicit example (and I am sure there are many) is Genesis 6:6, where it not only states that God regretted that He made humanity, but also that His heart was filled with pain.

So what does this mean? It doesn't make too much sense that God regretted (repented, was sorry for, or however you choose to translate the Hebrew verb) any of His actions. A sovereign God would have been prepared for problems like this, how could he allow his heart to be filled with pain? Here in lies one of God's great mysteries and beauties. God creating us in His image (however you choose to understand that...) connected himself to humanity in such a way that He allowed Himself to be vulnerable. The absolute transcendence of God was eliminated in His awesome act of immanence. No longer was God unaffected by events and entities around Him; He entered Himself into something so precious and unique that forced Him to become susceptible. This precious and unique thing is relationship.

Some of us don't think of God as a risk taker, but that is exactly what He did with us. He risked the possibility of being hurt for the possibility of sharing a deep intimate relationship with His creation. Unfortunately, in Genesis 6 it looks like God risked everything and lost. I can't imagine what God felt like in that moment. But one thing comes to me that tells me His pain was exceedingly great. Its the truth that those whom you love can hurt you the most. This I know is true. It's one thing if some boyscout standing at your door selling cookies says "I hate you!" because you didn't buy anything, but it is another story when it is someone from your family, close friend, or spouse. I believe the pain we feel in these types of situations are just the tip of the iceberg compared to depths of God's emotions and pains. To feel utterly rejected by every part of your creation of whom you desperately love and opened yourself to. No wonder why God regretted His act of creation.

Thankfully it did not end there, God, in His infinite wisdom and understanding, created a way in which His creation could enter into a loving relationship with Him, a relationship that would come invulnerable to the pain He felt that day. Because all that pain was pent up for another day, when a carpenter was nailed to some wood and bore the pain of God.