Paradox is a difficult concept to define, much less to integrate into our understanding of theology. Basically, a paradox is a concept or person comprised of seemingly contradictory characteristics that are nonetheless true (or at least possible).
For example, God being both totally loving and completely just may seem like an impossibility. Yet we can ask ourselves: is God loving? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ went to save sinners (the cross). Is God just? Yes. Look at the extent to which Christ was required to go to save sinners (the cross). The cross represents one of the most profound paradoxes our finite minds can entertain: the mercy of God and the wrath of God, simultaneously and completely illustrated.
Since we (humans) are made in God's image, Anderson argues, similar paradoxes exist within us as well. Our difficulty in understanding these seemingly opposing aspects of ourselves often leads us to polarized views in which one side or the other is completely ignored. For example, we are both body and spirit. However, some people devote their attention nearly entirely to improving their physical bodies, while others ignore their health in pursuit of spiritual improvement. A similar pitting against self often occurs in the matter of gender and personhood. Am I a woman or a person? Of course, I am both. As Anderson summarizes:
"While being a woman is essential to my identity, I am not 'simply' a woman. There is a part of me that transcends my gender, so in the end, regardless of how conservative we may be, we must all agree that a woman has more in common with a man than she does with a female cat! The paradox of identity is that I am both a woman who is a person and a person who is a woman. And this will never make sense until both my womanhood and my personhood are united in Jesus Christ... By embracing the paradox we discover not two separate truths about ourselves, but the beautiful simplicity that unites both. We discover the simplicity that can only be found in Him -- that can only be found in the One who can hold all things together (Made For More, Hannah Anderson)."
If we are made in the image of an infinitely complex (yet perfect) God, it follows that we would not be "simple" in makeup. This should not frighten or discourage us, but rather empower us to find our identities in the One who is all things good.
Question: What apparent contradictions have you noted in yourself, which are both nonetheless true?
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