Questions Beyond Answers

The questions asked by children are seemingly in terminable, as those who have attempted to answer them know: “Why this?” “Why that?” “Why everything?”—and every answer seems only to suggest another question. As children we ask “why?” about many things which as adults we accept as a matter of course. We ask “why?” because what is obvious to others is not obvious to us. And those whose responsibility it is to teach and to train us in our youth rightly expect us to accept some answers which are beyond our understanding, because wisdom and experience have found them to be good. In other words, as children, we are asked to accept some things on faith. And so it continues to be throughout all our days. There are many perplexing questions in life, which to answer fully and satisfyingly here and now, defies all our wisdom, our understanding, our reasoning. True, some men can answer questions which others cannot. Some have acquired wider knowledge. Some have searched farther into the unknown. Some have been given insight and inspiration beyond the perception and understanding of others. But no matter how wise or how learned a man may become, there are many answers which no man knows, which all of us together do not know, which are beyond all the wisdom in all men in all the ages, present and past. There is still much in the world, much of great importance, which must be accepted on faith. And when we rebel against this fact, when we will accept only what we can positively prove by our own objective experience, we are closing against ourselves the door that opens upon further light, more truth, greater discovery. Even as in childhood we were satisfied in part, and we trusted in part, so now, still standing as children in the presence of the illimitable unknown, still standing as children before that God and Father who made us all, no matter how much we may yet discover, there will always be questions rising beyond answers, as hills arise above hills, on an eternal horizon. But the fact that we may not know all would be a miserable excuse for not accepting gratefully what we do know, and with it working out our salvation, proceeding with knowledge where we have it, and proceeding with faith where knowledge fails us.