We are in the season of Advent— the season when we remember the coming of Christ. In this column for the month of December, we will be reflecting on different aspects of Mary who played a prominent role in the Christmas Story.

When the young Mary was told that she will have a son, she responded to the angel with an obvious question—“ How?” Gabriel didn’t provide much of an answer, except to say this miracle would be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit because, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

Like Mary we’re not always content to merely know what God is going to do, we also want to know how he’s going to do it. Here we must be careful not to overstep our place as God’s servants for the sake of knowledge, because knowledge, while valuable, is less precious than obedience.

In his wisdom God allows some things to remain a mystery; he has permitted some truth to be cloaked in paradox without further explanation. For example, how is God one and yet three persons? How is Jesus fully human and fully divine? How does God’s sovereignty still permit human free will? I would welcome answers to these and many other questions, but sometimes we must be content with the angel’s non-answer, “Nothing is impossible for God.”

As we mature in our life with God, the lack of answers shifts from a frustration to a blessing. It is often what we do not understand which fuels our devotion. The mysteries of God are what drive us to our knees and awe-filled worship. Any god you can fully grasp with your mortal mind is not worthy of your worship because such a god would be less than, not more than, you.