Review: The Curious Christian

“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” 1 Timothy 1:17

In the beginning God—and thereby an invitation. Invitation to know. To seek. To relationship. “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search it out” (Prov. 25:2). To hunger after the immortal God, to seek after the infinite King. I want to know his heart, to immerse myself in his infinitude, to let the deep cry out to deep (Ps. 42:7). To know, oh, my God, to know.

 

Not to conquer. To control by knowledge. Not a theological system to put a deity in. His heart is plumbless, unmeasurable. He is infinite.

It is an invitation to be curious, as Barnabas Piper reminds us in his book The Curious Christian. He convincingly connects curiosity to work, leadership, media, culture, racial tensions, as well as our Christian life. (Read my full review here). But more importantly, he links curiosity to love. Love.

Love of God. To love is in part to be correctly curious about God and others. What do they like? How can I know them? What are their passions? Desires? How can I please the Lord? How can I love them best? What does it mean to be holy—and how can I be holy as the Lord is holy? All questions of curiosity.

Piper explicates, “Without the desire to see and understand and experience [God and his closeness, plans, promises]—without curiosity—we are content with a God-loves-me-so-I’m-all-good ‘relationship.’ That is barely a relationship at all. That’s a mild appreciation to a benefactor. It’s heartless and moves us not at all. It is lifeless and stagnant” (49)

The I AM. Invitation to know him, to seek him. Never ending, satiating, The One who is Love, invites us to know him, awash in his love. So he pours out his Spirit who pours his love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5), Love without, Love within. Curious to know, invitation.

The I AM. Invitation to know the One who is the Star-Breather, whose word was more real than the mountains and caused them to be, whose imagination is more infinite than the galaxy, whose word is greater than the far reaches of the universe in universes and the jet black depths. He invites us to curiously, humbly, reverently, lovingly seek him, to know him.

This God, we lean against his chest, for he gently carries his sheep (Isa. 40:11; John 10). With such an invitation, does it not spark curiosity? Lord, I have tasted and seen! But yet I thirst more, and more! Quenched but not quenched. Rest but hunger.

From amidst his perfect worship in the divine council, his perfect glory, he sends forth his royal command, “Be my son! My daughter! Seek me! Know me!” To me. To us. What is man that you are mindful of him? Who am I that you are mindful of me? (Ps. 8:5). And in response to his royal call our heart trembles, awe-filled curiosity, “Lord, I want to know you more.” Seek pant heart-race beat strive. No wonder why Paul speaks of “this one thing I do, I put the past aside, strive on” and considers all things as dung (Phil. 3), and “I beat my body” (1 Cor. 9:27). Greater, greater, greater joy. Plummetless depths of the Lord and we have bold confidence! (Eph. 3:12).

Curious? Curious? Such a tame word for such a big hunger! But an apt word. Invitation. Truly, as Christians, we should be curious. Thank you, Barnabas Piper, for sparking that again.