Oswald has written before about the danger of letting common sense obscure my view of God or limit my understanding of his ways. I haven't taken his words as strongly to heart as I might because I don't think of myself as a commonsensical person. Common sense is what comes to your aid when you're stranded in an unknown place or what keeps you from getting stranded in the first place. Common sense says you spend less than you make and you only plant as big a garden as you can reasonably care for. Common sense is for practical people, and I've never thought of myself as terribly practical.
Today, however, it occurred to me that when Oswald uses the phrase "common sense," he is referring not merely to the practical ability to fend for one self in a variety of circumstances but to human reasoning in general -- to the mind, to a logical, analytical way of thinking, judging, and assessing a situation -- and that reasoning's tendency to oppose/dismiss/minimize the supernatural work of God in our lives.
"Our ordinary wits never worship God unless they are transfigured by the indwelling Son of God" -- Oswald.
Oswald takes today's verse from the passage in John about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus says, "Roll away the stone and open the tomb."
Martha replies, "But, Lord, there will be a bad smell."
Jesus wants to bring me new life every day, and every day -- in big and little ways -- I argue with him about the smell, the mess, the noise.
Do I believe he can bring me new life? Or does my mind scoff at the possibility?
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