This world is such an incredibly complex place in which we exist. Every day is new and different from the one before, and with each day brings new experiences, people, interactions, and questions. Each person asks a multitude of questions each day, some as simple as, 'What should I order to eat?' or some as complex as, 'Where does morality come from and how can it be proven?'. Questioning is an aspect of life that I engaged in full mode come last August when I entered my freshman year of college, which, I might add, ended just a mere three days ago. That's right, my first year of college is over and I can now say I am officially a sophomore, a scary but exciting thought as the prospects of the future draw near and the memories of the past become just that: memories. With the years to come I'm sure will come more questions, especially being a student that is constantly being asked to learn and regurgitate what seems like endless amounts of information pertaining Mathematics, Science, English, Anthropology, and who knows what else. I love reading and learning, so being surrounded by books, professors, and what at times seems like endless amounts of knowledge has been so great! However, this has proved to be a bit overwhelming at times. It's easy to become caught up in the exciting-but often overwhelming-world of college. (It's different for everyone. Some may be overwhelmed with grades, friends, socializing, partying, or fill-in-the-blank. For me, the part that I become caught up in was knowledge). As a freshman everything has been new to me and I have often felt as if I have been rebuilding my entire world, because that's pretty much what every freshman is forced to do, and honestly this world is one in which I have felt only slightly prepared for, and it turns out that I was way less prepared than I originally anticipated (No matter how many times I've been told that 'college is different' and 'growing up is challenging', this past year has been more than unexpected and nothing I could've been prepared for. I just had to experience it for myself). Everything has been new and different. However, looking back it's wonderful to see that through the ups, downs, changes, and questions there is one aspect to it all that remains constant: God.
That last sentence is a good summary of the reason for this blog in the first place. God is calling me to share about His faithfulness, goodness, and consistency in my life and particularly in the past year of college and the years to come. Two realizations have hit me after this past year:
1) There is a difference between knowledge and truth.
2) When questions arise in life, God either reveals an answer that our limited brains can comprehend, His divine nature, often which we can't, or an answer at a later time.
Questions are good. Growing up I often heard, 'There aren't any stupid questions' or 'Always ask what's on your mind, because someone else is most likely wondering the same thing but is just too scared to speak up'. Questioning can be helpful when it yields fruit such as growing, learning, encouragement, seeking, or sharing. However, at the same time, questioning can have negative effects such as pridefulness, fear, close-mindedness, or bigotry. To me it seems that there is a balance that must be found when asking questions so that one does not become consumed with the questions themselves and lose sight of the truth within the question. There is a healthy way to pursue most anything. How this way is defined is often hard to pinpoint and depends on the situation at hand, but I think that when it comes to asking questions, it is best to do so through research, patience, wisdom, and consulting others while at the same time forming an original opinion, and for me the most important part of asking questions was and is to seek truth in addition to knowledge, if not even more so, and it seems to me that truth points to the God of Christianity, Yahweh, and to His Son Jesus Christ. I've found that when I ask a question, I can often find an answer that I can understand and explain in detail. However, if I don't find an answer that satisfies a question, I've learned to understand that humanity is limited in knowledge; we do not think on an infinite scale but rather on a finite one. Therefore, since God is infinite and sees life on an infinite scale, including time, space, science, and the like, it makes sense that there are aspects to life that we cannot comprehend in which He very much can. When we try to understand and dissect God fully, we fail. We are not God. However, when we seek the will of God, we are satisfied. Either he reveals an answer in due time or He reveals His nature, meaning who He is. We cannot and should not try to control, manipulate, or limit God. If those are our intentions, then of course we are setting ourselves up for destruction. There is also a difference in knowledge and truth; one can know so much but miss the truth found within the knowledge. Knowledge without truth is empty and incomplete, while at the same time truth without knowledge can lead to ignorance and close-mindedness. It's beneficial to be informed but stumbling to be all-consumed with intellect.
Many of the questions brought up in my mind this past year have to do with science, philosophy, and morality, many of which have been answered while others are still open-ended for one reason or another. I will address many of these questions in later posts in series form, some in detail and some only briefly, as well as the answers revealed to me, the conclusions I have come to, and the peace found through it all. Some of the questions that I have been challenged with largely pertain to faith. My intent is not to sway you one way or another on any of these topics, but I hope to share how God has revealed Himself within each and every one of these questions. I also want each post to serve as a reminder that we do not walk alone in life and especially not in questioning. God is listening and yearning for us to see Him as the answer to every question, because at the end of the day, all questions are fleeting, all answers are unimportant, and all knowledge is meaningless. Much of what humanity claims to 'know' seems to be inconsistent. No matter how much we comprehend, no matter how much we discover, the one truth that is overwhelming to this life is God. I have found that God is the only true and constant aspect to life and He will never leave us on our own. So ask questions, find answers, and inform yourself. Above all though, seek the Father.
