Our journey with Pascal continues...
It seems to be another wink from God that our advent posts peak with our need for a savior. For we've lamented in our lack of understanding whether it's revealed in our frustration with mathematics or our inability to understand creation. We have seen Pascal's observation:
There is a God whom man can know, and... there is a corruption in their nature which renders them (humans) unworthy of Him (God). It is equally important for man to know both these points; and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness... (Pascal, 556)
While this seems hopeless, it's not. Reread the first section "there is a God whom man can know," and ask yourself, "If I'm so wretched, how can I know God?" Pascal again reveals the answer for us. In fact, he states that it is downright dangerous to end at knowing that we are wretched.
...and it is equally dangerous for man to know God without knowing his own wretchedness...
... and to know his own wretchedness without knowing the redeemer, who can free him from it. (Pascal, 556)
There it is! The hope of our salvation! It's the reason we celebrate Advent and Christmas!
We get in our own way, but God has made a way for us to know Him through His son, whom He sent to save us from our wretchedness! Christ can free us from ourselves. This is why we urgently long for the coming of Christ during advent and delight in His coming at Christmas!
Isn't this marvelous! Doesn't this make you want to stop and bask in the wonder of not knowing everything. For we don't know or understand everything because there is someone far greater than ourselves who does. How incredibly disappointing it would be to think that man was the most powerful being. We can't even fully understand non-Euclidean geometry.