Order of learning

Isn't it interesting that the order in which we learn things has something to do with how we understand them?

For instance, as a child I learned about church before I learned about God.

From a young age, I was admonished that it was important to go to church. In my childhood, a good person was often referred to "a faithful member of (whatever) church." Within the church, I heard approving comments of "he/she is here every time the doors are open."

It's interesting, isn't it, that there is no mention of God in any of those statements.

So I learned about God through the lens of the church, instead of the other way around. I accepted the concept and reality of church, and then as I learned about God I tried to fit Him into that frame.

My starting place was the church in my town, with all its failings and imperfections and misunderstandings; no wonder some of my perceptions of God were askew.

In more recent years I've been trying to think through church and its role through the lens of what I now know about God. When you begin with a loving, powerful God, and then consider the role of the church, the view is startlingly different.

What a difference that order makes!