We are frequently convinced that we want to know more of God. Sometimes we think we want to know everything of God. Sometimes our prayers suggest we are saying to him, "explain yourself - I demand to know!" This is a great example of how our desire for knowledge exceeds our wisdom. If we demand to know all of God, we are deciding that we must “master” God. It is of course not possible to do this – but some may believe it is. Anything you have mastered, you have now placed beneath you. God will not be mastered, indeed cannot be mastered.
To feel that we must master God is to then be left a person who has no ability for wonder. With, nothing bigger than ourselves – no ability or capacity for wonder, then we will have no chance for joy. Joy comes from what is larger than us. If we have mastered God, we have made him smaller than us. So, our demand to master God becomes our road to depression. Neitsche and others experienced this fellowship of cheerlessness.
No, what we want is enough knowledge to believe – not only about God, about others, and about all of life. Enough knowledge to trust, and then live the adventure. In other words, this means we want mystery – our souls need mystery. Mystery, unknown – is a necessity for wonder.
If we demand to know all of God, then the mystery is lost. Lose the mystery, lose the joy.
