"Human walking is a unique activity during which the body, step by step, teeters on the edge of catastrophe." (paleoanthropologist John Napier)
The human ability to walk on two legs is remarkable considering that we are top-heavy and our base is narrow compared to our vertical height. Yet, most of us take walking for granted. We have all fallen down while walking or running. Most of the time, this is due to inattention, exhaustion, sickness, or inebriation. We realize that our power to stand up and move forward requires coordination, balance, and strength; one factor, that we often forget about, is gravity. This is because most of us have experienced a loss of physical equilibrium or endurance, but not the absence of gravity.
People who don’t know about gravity can still walk, while those of us who understand gravity still fall occasionally. Belief in gravity does not prevent one from stumbling. Similarly, belief in God does not preclude catastrophe.
Faith is not insurance against suffering. Some may ask: then, why bother believing in God? In fact, why do we seek to know about anything which we are not able to control or fully comprehend? There seems to be something in our makeup that seeks understanding and meaning beyond earthly pleasures and distractions--a craving that remains unsatiated--which keeps drawing us toward the Omniscient.
“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” (St. Augustine)
No comments:
Post a Comment