and dignity that elevate it beyond mere facticity and
make it the object of an unquenchable interest, indeed,
of a reverent, astonished wonderment.”12 This
unquenchable interest, however, must be tempered to
prevent it from becoming self-interested. Love retains
both the reverence and astonishment of discovery.
“Love not only sets a limit to its own revelations, but
also respects the mystery of the other person.”13
Balthasar calls the love needed for this dialog an “indifferent readiness”. He means the love is
indifferent not due to the lack of caring, but rather, because it is a love that will care no matter what
discoveries are revealed. A self-interested love might try to make the beloved into one's own image,
delude one's self, or discourage honest disclosure by imposing demands. “Indifferent readiness” implies
a self-less openness to the truth of the other as he is rather than how I would have him. Imagine how
honest one could be if there was complete trust. The trust needed to engender “indifferent readiness” is
predicated on the confidence that one can have in the Creator. In other words since God made
everything and all things are held in God's “safekeeping”, one is best able to ascertain the truth, not by
imposing, but instead by receiving. Receptivity is the key to perceiving the truth of creation.
As soon as we recognize this “indifferent readiness” as the basic affection of creatureliness, we need
no longer fear that God's freedom might place a limit on the creature's happiness and inner
satisfaction or that the creature might transgress such a boundary, if not by its free will, then
certainly by its creaturely nature. For now the criterion of what befits cognitive nature is no longer
the law of one's own desire but solely what the Creator metes out to this nature. And the ultimate
norm of all movement in the world is, not one's own happiness, but the always better service of
God's majesty and glory, in which the creature finds its true fulfillment and thus it's blessedness. 14
12
13
14
Ibid., 9.
Ibid.,125.
Ibid., 258-259.
8