“God’s creative method is movement, change, continuing search, ongoing inquiry. Those who seek are rewarded” (John M. Templeton).
ONE OF THE STRIKING FEATURES OF OUR HUMANITY IS THE INSTINCTIVENESS WITH WHICH WE SEEK WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE AND DO NOT KNOW. Indeed, a person would be thought odd if he or she never sought anything at all. By a seemingly immutable law of our nature, we seek . . . and seek . . . and seek. And this also is remarkable: we seek in the confidence that there are worthy things to be found. It looks as if we believe there really is such a thing as truth!
Yet there is a sense in which we do not seek enough. Too often, we are complacent about the amount of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding we have. It would do most of us good to acquire a healthy dissatisfaction with the present state of our minds. We need more of the spirit of the pioneer and the adventurer — a lifelong quest for truth is what we should be involved in.
We are not alone in our seeking, however, and so we should acknowledge the other seekers around us. Not every person we meet will have a worthy discovery to share with us, but many will, so we need to have the humility to listen and learn when others speak to us about the results of their own quest thus far.
But what will we do with truth when we uncover some of it? All of the greatest truths test us and challenge us to decide what our response to them will be. Call me a wishful thinker if you must, but I have always loved Charles Habib Malik’s hopeful adage: “If you seek, you will know; if you know, you will love; if you love, you will obey.” Know. Love. Obey. Those are the guiding stars of the seeker.
Here, then, is a passion worthy of our life’s dedication. And in a world where falsehood can wield brute strength, at least in the short term, it is sobering to think what it may cost us to seek truth honestly.
Seek the truth
Listen to the truth
Teach the truth
Love the truth
Abide by the truth
And defend the truth
Unto death.
(John Huss)
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
