Apopathic Goldmund vs. Kataphatic Narcissus. michelle slosser

I am not a big reader, but the book Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse has been a recurrent thought of my every day since I read it about a month ago. Goldmund spent most of his life searching for the meaning of life in nature, love, senses, and emotions. Narcissus is his opposite, strong in mind and never letting emotions take hold of him. I can't help but think about these two characters when I read about the kataphatic and apophatic in Lane's writing. Lane compares harsh landscapes with the apophatic, as they are "poised on the edge of nothingness," just as we are when we try to fathom God. Goldmund also was in a way poised on the edge of nothingness. He was homeless, familyless, didnt have any possessions, goals, or plans. But just as God is to us, though a complete mystery, the definition of life and love, Goldmund seemed to strive for those same things. The opposite of apophatic is kataphatic, and the opposite of Goldmund was Narcissus. Kataphatic theology is the embracing of what we do know about God, describing him the best we can. Narcissus devoted his life to learning the best he could, and having the most discipline that he could, all in the name of God. They were complete opposites, but they loved and needed each other, just as we need both apophatic and kataphatic mindsets in our relationship with God today. Redick said that he strove to find a balance between the two characters in his own life, I wonder how he did that, and I wonder if I need to strive for that also...