Here I try (briefly) to explain my limited understanding of the impossible as referred to in the introductory page to this site - establish what it's all about. This is not ultimate "truth". If I have learned anything in more than 60 years, it's that any of us can only ever grasp a tiny bit of "truth". As I learn more my understanding will change - but here's my brief summary of the big picture as I understand it now. If you want to know more about how this truth relates to apsects of life by a mind far greater than mine, see some interesting views by C S Lewis.

Time and space did not exist - so how do we even start to describe that situation? What we know is as some "time" God said ... and things came into being. Now this begs a question: when God spoke, to whom was he speaking? I don't have a good understanding of this - but I'm starting to understand a wee bit more of the Trinity. When we understand we are created in His image, part of that is that we communicate with Him and with each other - just as he does within the Trinity.

Communication is on a totally different level within the Trinity - perhaps something like a Vulcan mind-meld but beyond comprehension. When men recorded the Bible they only had words they knew to use. And we all know how hard King James English is to understand 😄. That's a difficulty I have in getting my head around this. Things existed / happened and all we can do is try and describe them with words based on things they understand.

Then God created man - in his own image. Among other things He made him to be creative - as He was. They talked - as God talk with others after that. Most discussions aren't recorded - but we know He talked with Cain after he'd killed his brother. I would suggest (though it's obviously not recorded) He talked with everyone as they went about their lives.

As time went on, people became less comfortable talking with God. Possibly they felt uncomfortable talking with God when they knew what they were like on the inside. Eventually the  Jewish religion came into being. Certain people were given responsibility for dealing with God on behalf of "ordinary" people.

Then God came to earth as Jesus. He changed things totally, providing the way for imperfect humans to approach the perfect God. He obviously said a lot, some of which is recorded - but much more isn't. After His time on earth, followers of Jesus took the gospel across the world - despite persecution of various sorts.

Constantine started a major change by making Christianity the religion of the state. This is sometimes thought of as a big step forward - but what he started was pagan, couched in terms which followers of Jesus would relate to. Interestingly Patrick's (probably a Jew) Celtic church has quite a different history from the impressions I had, and avoided the influence of the pagan church for roughly the same time as the church grew before being "domesticated" by Constantine.

As the Jews had developed a religion to come between them and God, so too followers of Jesus fell into the same trap. That's not to say all followers lost all sight of their God at all times, but you only have to look at things like the Spanish inquisition, or the troubles in Northern Ireland, to see how far from God people can become in the name of "religion".

Even in times of darkness, the love of God comes through. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is just one example. While much of the church sided with Hitler, Bonhoeffer stayed faithful, even though it meant he died before the war ended. There are many other examples like this. It doesn't mean that they were always right all of the time - just that they were true to the understanding they had of God.

What's more interesting to me is what has happened when the "church" fails to present God's view. This happens in many situations - the slave trade, apartheid, the Treaty of Waitangi and so on. It doesn't take scholarly research to realise that God is very interested in justice. So when His people are on the side of injustice, what does He do?

From my position it would be so easy for Him to step in and "solve" the problem. But He has given humans the world (although His enemies often try and persuade us they are in charge) - and it's our responsibility. As I am slowly learning to understand Him a bit more, I believe He lets His message be responded to by anyone who will listen - whether they acknowledge Him or not. Sadly as less than perfect humans, solving one problem doesn't mean the future is all rosy. We have only to look at the examples above to see that even when the initial injustice is solved, all is not rosy.

So where are we today? We have lost so much reality in the past - but God has been restoring things for some time, and it seems at an increasing rate. And this is happening not so much as a big thing through "big" people - but through a series of "little" things through lots of ordinary people.