The Circle

Thinking about going back and forth between theory and practice sounds kind of like we’re talking about a circle. It sounds like we just go around and around between “knowing what God wants you to do” (theory) and “living in a truly human way” (practice). But, this is only the way things appear at first glance.

The Spiral

When we talked about the example of the gymnast, we saw that each time we made a rotation around the spiral, we moved up a bit. The reason for this is: theory and practice build off each other. Knowing the theory, helps you try thing out better in real life. And, trying things out in real life helps you understand the theory better.

The End of the Spiral

The spiral is taking us to knowledge of God Himself. It does not lead to merely knowing about God. It leads to knowing God. God’s commands are based on who He is. So, the better we understand what God wants, the better we understand God. And the more we start to act in a manner that reflects God, the more we will understand him in a practical, day-to-day kind of way.

*Graphics by Melissa Tertichny