Tag: questions

Seeking Answers

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)

Humans, by nature, have always been curious. We look at something and are filled with all kinds of questions. Where did this come from, what is its source? How was this created? Who or what sustains this? How does it operate? Will it last long? Can it be taken apart, and if so, can it be put back together? Questions seem to be endless when we encounter objects. This curiosity has led humanity to discover all types of beneficial components and processes throughout life. These discoveries have opened many adventures and opportunities to us. This inquisitive search has even extended to explore non-physical parts of life such as spirituality, thought processes, and philosophies. We tend to ask why someone thinks, behaves or responds as they do in a variety of situations.

Today in the passage which we have read, we see a few answers to some existential questions. The first question answered is “Who is the Son of Man?” The answer is he is the image of an invisible God. The whole definition of the incarnation is put there in a very simple sentence. Jesus is the physical embodiment of God, the first creature. The second question which is answered is “How was any and everything I see, hear or experience created?” The answer is through the Son of Man, or God. Another short answer to a profound question. The third question could be “How does everything fit together and kept in motion?” This question’s answer is that the Son of Man is responsible. 

If we are looking for the answer to the overarching question of how has this come to be, here we have a concise answer. All things, either physical and non-physical, came to be through God. If we wish to know who this God is that creates and sustains all things, then we have the Son of Man, Jesus, to give us an all-encompassing image. This places all things, all thoughts, all aspects of life in the realm of God who we fully know in Jesus Christ.

Answer Unavailable

For me, one of the most difficult realities in life is that times exist when answers do not. As a leader in the Christian church, I have often been present with people when they experience tragedy and/or loss. I have sat beside a person when they have been given extremely bad news. I have accompanied police officers as they have had to deliver news of a death to a family. It has been my responsibility to speak to a community when horror such as what occurred on 9/11/01 happens in our nation. In each of these situations, people have looked for answers that are beyond any human’s ability to provide.

This week, news of a senseless tragedy filled the airwaves and newspapers due to an event in my state. Less than twenty-four hours after this tragedy, another horrible act was committed in Ohio. Over thirty individuals lost their lives within a 24-hour time span because of the actions taken by two individuals. Right away people started seeking answers. The news media asked questions of law enforcement about motives and how these events took place. The politicians started discussing their theories and placing blame on others. The families of the victims, the ones who deserve answers more than anyone else, asked the question that always arises, “Why?“

Over the years and my experience in seeking answers to questions like this, I have come to realize that some questions must be left unanswered. Sure, we can theorize, and we can rationalize but the reality is that the answer to Why? is not available. We can search the Bible, ancient manuscripts, history books, psychology books, and all types of writings, but the answer is not there. We can listen to civic leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement, professors, and anyone we believe to have wisdom and still there is no answer.

This lack of an answer frustrates us immensely. We are at the point of human development where we are used to taking on tough questions and with much effort finding the answers. In an age of technology and endless available information, we have convinced ourselves that no question exists which we cannot answer with Google and a little work. When we get frustrated, then we turn to blaming. We blame the cause of the tragedy, we blame our leaders, we blame ethnic backgrounds, we blame the internet, and at times we even blame the victims.

Here is a reality that may be difficult to swallow…there is no answer. No matter how much blame we throw around. No matter how much wisdom we seem to obtain. The answer to this Why? is not within our grasp.

Yet, there is still hope. The hope does not lie within our powers or abilities. The hope does not lie in the ability to “fix it.” Hope comes from only one source. This source has been known to people since ancient times. The name of the source may have changed over the years and throughout civilizations but it is the same source of hope. Some may call it Yahweh, some call it the Great Spirit, some call it Allah, and still others call it God as I do in my Christian faith. Our hope is found in God even when the answer to Why? is not obtainable.