Why Knowledge of the Divine Matters

Our Place and Purpose are Defined by It

I am listening to a series of messages by Ravi Zacharias, one of the great minds of our time. The message series is called Is There Meaning in Pain and Suffering and one of the reasons the series is so powerful is the panel discussion at the end. A leading scientist represents the atheistic perspective. A hindu scholar joins him as well. Such discussions, when carried on with integrity and mutual respect, are a valuable part of understanding the human experience.

Francis Collins, I feel, adds similar depth to our discussion of origins. Can you imagine peeking into the Divine's working drawings? Although Collins does not promote intelligent design he sees G-d's hand in things, perhaps more as architect and less as builder. The writings of C.S. Lewis influenced Collins who was not a believer earlier in his life, to come to faith. There is no testimony more powerful than that of the honest inquirer's.

Belief, or non-belief, colors our discussion of such matters as purpose, pain and suffering and even how should we live our lives.

Here be Dragons

Really old maps fascinate me. You see the well-rendered survey of known lands and the nebulous shapes of imagined and unexplored realms. I love how the old mapmakers would draw very imaginitive sea-serpents cavorting in the margins with the notation: "Here be dragons." So what has changed? We render well what we know and imagine what we don't. Yet navigation has always been a matter of life and death.

My son and several friends were venturing to New York City for New Year's eve in Times Square and I asked them if they needed any directions. The fellow in their group from Australia announced decisively "we've got GPS!" We didn't have that in the 1970's when I did the same trip.

I wonder if he was driving when the car, registered to me, went through an EZ-pass lane? I got the missed toll bill later? There is always a point where our knowledge is limited even though we see more than our forefathers. Knowledge should be freely sought, but we shall never come to a point where it will eclipse our need for faith and further exploration.