Opus 2026-186: Thank You for Asking

Do we need to understand everything?  That is called a rhetorical question.  For those who went to public school a rhetorical question is one that is either so stupid or so obvious that it does not deserve or expect an answer.  It is obvious that we cannot understand everything.  Even in a perfect world we will each have our area of strength and work together with others to put the puzzle of life together.  The Bible somewhat deals with this when it talks about spiritual gifts.  No one has them all.  Everyone has at least one.  They are given to build up the body of Christ not to glorify the individual.

Some people will go on intellectual vacation.  There are many people who are willing to have someone else make the decisions for them as long as they have beer and football.  When I am in one of those moods I would say they make up the vast majority.  It does not guarantee they will be morally degenerate, just passive.  I believe God has called us to keep thinking and using our minds.

We may come to different conclusions.  Often I can guarantee it.  The bigger the group the more chance for dissent.  The purpose of dissent is to sharpen our thinking and point out our mistakes.  It is not to identify heretics.  The time we should worry is if everyone is in total agreement.

When we differ it could be that one of us is right and the other wrong.  It could also be that we are both half way there.  Of course there is also the good chance that both of us are wrong.  One of my favorite moments in leading a study time was to say, “Of course, in eternity we may find out that both Wesley and Calvin were wrong.”  Without missing a beat one young man contributed a hearty “Amen.”

Keep asking questions.  Make them genuine.  Don’t be the teenager in the back seat who can only keep repeating, “Why?”

homo unius libri