>St. Gregory Palamas taught this: God's essence (what He is in Himself, His inner being) is completely transcendent, utterly unknowable and unapproachable to any creature, ever. No created mind can touch it or participate in it without God ceasing to be God. >But God ain't locked away like some distant clockmaker. He really reveals Himself and unites us to Himself through His energies-His uncreated operations, actions, grace, light, glory, love, all that proceeds from His essence yet remains fully divine. These energies are eternal, uncreated, fully God Himself in His outgoing activity. >So the distinction is real-not just in our heads-but it don't split God into parts or wreck His perfect simplicity. It's like the sun: you can't grab the sun's core (essence), but its rays (energies) reach ya, warm ya, light ya up, and let ya truly encounter the sun without burning ya to a crisp.