Knowing God

Once Alexander the Great asked Diogenes, "You are so learned, you know so much. Can you tell me something about God… and what God is?"

Diogenes waited for a moment and then said, "Give me one day's time."

Alexander came the next day but again Diogenes said, "Give me two days' time."

It happened again, and he said, "Give me three days' time," and then four days and then five days, and then six days and the whole week was gone.

Alexander was annoyed and said, "What do you mean? If you do not know the answer, you should have said so. If you know, then what is the explanation for the delay?"

Diogenes said, "That moment you asked me, I thought that I knew. However, the more I tried to catch hold of it, the more it became elusive. The more I thought about it, the farther away it was. Right now, I don't know anything, and the only thing I can say to you," said Diogenes, "is that those who think they know God, they know not."