Discovery

Legends of discovery ever hold their fascination. Indeed, every age is an age of discovery⎯sometimes the discovery of places where men have never walked before, and sometimes the discovery of things which have nothing whatever to do with geography. Having charted the surface of our world, we penetrate the illimitable space beyond, and gaze more deeply into the minuteness of all the life and substance about us. But discovery goes beyond all this. Every life is a life of discovery⎯and when we weary of pushing at the physical barriers, we begin to reach deeply inward into the mind and spirit of man. There is the discovery of peace in one’s heart, the discovery of intelligent purpose in all things, the discovery of faith to sustain us until we find the answer to our unanswered questions. There are also other discoveries that men make. Some discover evil ways too soon in life, and discover their mistakes too late. Often we discover the errors and follies of other generations, sometimes by reading about them, but too often by repeating them. There are discoveries to be made concerning the intolerance and perversity of men, and also concerning their qualities of goodness. Sometimes when we think we are discovering something new, we find that we are in fact discovering something that is new only to us. Ideas which we avidly seize upon today may long since have been discarded by sorrier and wiser peoples. Many truths which we confidently “discover” have long since been common knowledge to others. What is new to us is in a sense discovery, though it be old as the ages. Some things have been discovered many times⎯this land of ours among them. And there are some things about it and its heritage which we would perhaps do well to rediscover. And so, all honor be to the discoverers of times past⎯to patriots and pioneers and others who have pushed ever further against tangible and intangible barriers, and who have paid the price of discovery. God grant that their discoveries may not be lost. Besides what new things we may discover, a rediscovery of the meaning of the past may save us, and generations to come, from searching needlessly for things that have already been found.