A Shape to Mystery
The Treehouse: Conversations About God
This week I saw a quote on social media that really grabbed me, and I admit I am a little gobsmacked by it. These words of wisdom are alleged to have come from Barry Taylor,1 formerly the road manager for AC/DC. Taylor converted to Christianity during the band’s “Highway to Hell” tour and later became an Episcopal priest. He is quoted as having said, "God is the name of the blanket we throw over mystery to give it shape."
God is the name of the blanket we throw over mystery to give it shape. I think that is a pretty powerful image, and it parallels what theologians Phyllis Trible and Sallie McFague (and many others) have alluded to, that in truth all language about God is metaphor.2 We can’t define God. We can’t really say definitively what God is, except that God is Being, God is Is-ness. (I am who I am; I will be who I will be).
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Mystery, Memoir, and Meaning to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.