Monstrous Picture of Whales—

For all these reasons, then, any way you look at it, you must needs conclude that the great Leviathan is that one creature in the world which must remain unpainted to the last. True, one portrait may hit the mark much nearer than another, but none can hit it with any very considerable degree of exactness. So there is no earthly way of finding out precisely what the whale really looks like. And the only mode in which you can derive even a tolerable idea of his living contour, is by going a whaling yourself; but so doing, you run no small risk of being eternally stove and sunk by him. Wherefore, it seems to me you had best not be too fastidious in your curiosity touching this Leviathan. – Moby Dick, 226

This passage strangely reminded me of the modern man’s search for God, particularly w/ the school of liberal theologians of last few centuries who were so caught up w/ finding the ‘real historical’ Jesus. Just like Melville’s description of erroneous whale paintings, most of their attempts have been found unconvincing, resulted in creating Jesus according to their preconceived biased image. Maybe I’m turning mystic, but it feels like the more we rely on our intellect the less likely to understand God. As the book suggest, the only way to truly see God is to encounter him. But, are we willing to be swept away by his awesome power and have our whole world turned upside down? It’s a question one must ask when honestly seeking God.