Not Knowing Why

Life is filled with questions. From the profane and mundane, to the reverent and profound thoughts of why we exist and for what purpose. Humans are questioners. You might even say we tend to be nosy. We want to know the who, when and where of what's happening around us. Most of us want to know about things which might be relevant to us, and sometimes, even more so, we are interested in situations that aren't any of our business. Usually, with some poking around we can obtain enough information, whether entirely accurate or not, to satisfy our curiosity.

But another question many of us have is, "why?" The why questions are often more difficult to answer. Why are people cruel? Why is someone we care about stricken with a debilitating or life-threatening illness? Why do some die too young? It is natural to seek answers, but it is unlikely we will find them when it comes to questions like these. Even if we were to know a reason why, it does not mean we would be satisfied. The answers to the "why" questions of life, usually lead to more questions.

The easy way out is to rely on platitudes to evade answers. Christians are notorious for offering things like, "it must be God's will" or "she's in a better place now." Not to diminish the sincerity behind such comments, but wisdom should lead to us to know when to say something and when to remain silent. None of us have all of the answers, and we should not pretend we do, especially when expressing an opinion causes more hurt than good.

It seems best not to try to tackle the why questions head on. Rather, let the whys in life lead us to become more loving and giving, more ready with a smile and a kind word. Let us be more spontaneous and show others how much we appreciate and care for them while we still have the opportunity. We should strive every day to remember some things are important and most things are not. Concentrate on what is important, not petty.

Many seek religion as a way to get answers, but religion, by itself, will fail in that area. However, reliance on God is the only thing I know which provides peace and comfort. I will accept such consolation in place of knowing the answers to all of my questions.