Cloud and Darkness

Entering into the unknown in order to know God

03/17/2019

Luke 9:28B-36 Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

One of the most fascinating books I ever read in the seminary was called The Cloud of Unknowing. The basic argument of the book was that the best way to approach God was with the heart rather than with the head, with the longing of love instead of the light of learning. All intellectual ideas of God, therefore – that he is good, true and beautiful, for example – had to be unknown, unlearned and, in a sense, even forgotten. I loved that book because I answered every question on the test with the same answer: “I don’t know!” Wasn’t that the point of the book?

The author encourages his reader with this mysterious counsel: “When you first begin this work, you find only darkness, and as it were a cloud of unknowing… For if you are to feel him [God] or see him in this life, it must always be in this cloud, this darkness.” And as if to underscore his point about God being unknown, the author of the book himself or herself is also unknown. Amazingly, no one knows who wrote this classic on Christian contemplation. Sometimes the best way to know someone is to un-know what you think you know about them, that is, you approach them not in the “light” but sort of in the “dark.” I hope this won’t scandalize you, but maybe that’s why spouses make love in the dark and they get to know each other like no one else does. Indeed, “to know” and “to make love” are synonymous and interchangeable terms in Genesis 4:1, where we read: “Adam knew his wife Eve and she bore a son.” The dark cloud of love is where we know by unknowing.

Both in the book of Genesis (our first reading) and in the gospel of Luke, people encounter God in the clouds of unknowing. In Genesis 15 Abram – remember his name will not be changed to “Abraham” until Genesis 17 – makes a curious covenant with God. We read: “As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram, and a deep terrifying darkness enveloped him.” By “trance” the ancient author meant a suspension of Abram’s intellectual faculty; he could not think. But simultaneously his heart could hear the loving words of God, who promised: “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”

The gospel of Luke recounts the event of the Transfiguration on Mt. Tabor, which also involved Peter, James and John entering into a dark cloud. Luke writes: “A cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him’.” You might recall that right before that happened, Peter had blurted out: “’Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ But he did not know what he was saying.” Notice Peter experienced unknowing, a kind of trance, and thus he was perfectly poised to encounter God. Those who grow closest to God are not necessarily intellectual giants who can answer every question on Jeopardy. Rather, they are the ones who love the Lord with their whole mind, heart, soul and strength. You are closest to those who are in your heart more than with those who are merely in your mind.

My friends, I would suggest to you the whole season of Lent is designed as the spiritual equivalent of the cloud of unknowing to help us encounter God and hear his voice like Abram and the apostles. Why do we sacrifice thing like meat on Fridays, or make voluntary penances like giving up chocolate or TV or social media? We know these things will make us happy, and bring us pleasure, but we sacrifice them to enter into the unknown world of want. Will these sacrifices draw us closer to God? You may answer like I did in the seminary: “I don’t know!” Bingo: at that moment we find ourselves in a cloud of unknowing and may meet God and hear him.

I sometimes wonder if this is why the elderly sometimes experience diminished intellectual capacity: forgetfulness, Alzheimer, dementia. Are they entering into the cloud of unknowing? At the same time, however, their heart and their capacity to love seem to explode. One grandmother confessed to me: “I did not think I could love anyone more than I love my own children. And then I had grandchildren.” I have never met any grandparents who are an exception to that rule. What rule? When we question what we think we know, we begin to know by unknowing, and draw closer to God.

St. Thomas Aquinas is arguably the most brilliant theologian the Church has ever known, and probably ever will; it is said he could dictate to three secretaries at once. I cannot dictate to one; she usually dictates to me. But on December 6, 1273, he experienced a profound, personal revelation of God. Afterward he remarked to his secretary, Brother Reginald, “I can write no more. I have seen things that make all my writings like straw.” What Thomas touched with his heart in that cloud of unknowing was deeper and more lofty than anything he could conceive with his incredible intellect, which by comparison seemed like straw.

Folks, here’s the one main take-away from today’s scriptures I want to leave you with: access to God is available to anyone. Maybe you cannot memorize bible verses (because you’re Catholic); perhaps you cannot quote the Catechism; heck, maybe you cannot remember what you had for breakfast today! But you can still draw close to God, who waits for us in a dark cloud of unknowing, which you can only enter with much love, not with much learning.

Praised be Jesus Christ!