Make Room for the Unknown
Today’s article is from one of the co-founders of Stranger Theology, Nate Henry. Nate grew up in Northern California and was the lead singer of the rock band Sherwood. The band played in 15 countries and sold 100k+ records. Nate’s previous podcast was a top 15 variety show when he began to learn more about Bigfoot and the sightings. In the Summer of 2020, he and Luke Rodgers began working on a new show called Blurry Creatures exploring the phenomena, and together they launched in August of that year. Nate is a creative at heart who loves to visualize concepts on the Blurry Creatures podcast through AI and compelling storytelling.
When The Bible Refuses To Be Ordinary
The world is getting weirder by the hour. We can all sense it.
Over the past six years, I’ve sat in the interview chair and talked to theologians, scholars, experiencers, historians, doctors, and experts. All those questions propelled our podcast Blurry Creatures as a formidable podcast on the chart of those pondering the unknown. The experts have pretty much all said the same thing…
“Strange times we’re living in.”
Which begs another question. How do we define strange?
Before 1940, if people came out of the forests in China claiming they saw a black-and-white unknown creature climbing in the trees, most people would laugh at them. And if they didn’t receive laughs, they would hear things like: THEY ARE JUST RACCOONS! The crowd would then laugh and tell them they’re losing their mind.
It’s not in human nature to believe stories of people making absurd claims.
But soon after, scientists discovered the giant panda bear (which is relatively recent in human history), even though their existence was well known for centuries by the locals. The locals knew it was something unique. And I’m sure that all who laughed at those who knew of their existence didn’t apologize for their initial reactions.
That is also human nature.
When pondering new discoveries or even considering the mere existence of strange beings or an unknown phenomenon, the human reaction has always been along the same lines. People immediately wall off. Arguments range from “this doesn’t exist” to “if this exists, then it has to be this other thing that I know exists”. There isn’t any room for the strange things in our minds.
Many Christians have built a non-researched and, in many cases, non-biblical fence around what they believe can exist. We’ve done this long before they’ve read a bible. We bring disbelief everywhere we go. As children we once believed, and perhaps that belief made us look foolish. Never again. At a certain age we all stop believing.
In recent history we have inadvertently demythologized the Bible in our minds. The further we got from the parting of the Red Sea, the harder it was for us to believe it actually happened. Perhaps it was a slow, gradual process. Hundreds of years went by, and words didn’t mean the same thing to the next generation. And then suddenly the Old Testament became its own fantasy world in our subconscious. Did those things actually happen?
I can confidently tell you this. Strange things happen, and that’s OK.
The world of the unknown is highly veiled and extremely layered. Christians often say words like “angel” or “demon” without really knowing these are only categories, not a species. And maybe broader terms are helpful for modern humans when in discussion. We can’t possibly comprehend the entirety of the Kingdom of Heaven on this side of life. As Christians, we get glimpses and continue to debate.
The danger only comes when we stop wondering.
Maybe the prophets were God’s in-between man between heaven and earth. Perhaps, in His wisdom, God chose men and women who had learned not to dismiss the strange things He revealed. He wanted someone who knew things were strange. He entrusted His Word to people who had grown comfortable living in the tension between what they could explain and what they could only receive. These people also needed to be able to listen and not freak out. They would have been through some crazy experiences and seen a lot of strange things to earn that right. It’s a long road to get to a place where you can trust God.
Could God have picked anyone to convey His messages? Sure, but He chose the prophet. He delighted to speak through the prophets. These were people who had learned to listen without immediately explaining everything away. They had walked with Him long enough to recognize His voice, even when it disrupted everything they thought they knew. As Christians, we should learn to think and believe like prophets. These people had a unique relationship with God. God spoke to them inside of flames, and they had to listen and not pass out from fear. Maybe that’s one reason the prophets so often stood apart from the crowd. They were more committed to the truth of what God had shown them than to whatever opinions those around them had. They became faithful witnesses to what most people couldn’t yet see.
As Christians, we have to agree that we believe in non-material realities. We believe in miracles and things we can’t explain. We know there’s a lot more than shadow and flesh. Maybe nothing is strange. Maybe nothing is “spiritual” as we so often like to say. Maybe EVERYTHING is spiritual. I often read that verse and think about how foolish:
“...God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor. 1:27)
I often read that verse and think about how God also uses the weird things to confound the certain. It’s pride that creeps into our thinking, and we lose all sense of wonder. The mystery keeps us longing and pondering how vast and deep the heart of God truly is.
Watch Nate, Luke, and Joel in the latest episode of The Cosmic Mountian:
Couldn’t agree more! Life (and even the Bible) is stranger than fiction
Great article. Thanks for all you’re doing here and with Blurry Creatures. My life is changed!