Curiouser and Curiouser

"There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read." - C.K. Chesterton

There is a curious mark of our age which is driven by purposeful ignorance.  Reading, understanding, stretching the mind... it all seems so long ago, or something relegated to the realm of academics, but certainly not for real life.  After all, we think, we're too busy for that sort of stuff.  There's life to live!  If it doesn't affect me, why learn it?  Yet at the same time we complain of not knowing things, or the ignorance of other people.  It is curious how when we are faced with a problem, and we are shown a solution, we yet choose to ignore that solution for the preference to complain.  Knowledge is like this.  We consider thinking to be too hard (and it is hard at times), but ignore the benefits.  We look for entertainment or the antidote to our boredom.  We prioritize these things over the desire to read God's word, pray, or learn something to help us better understand the Bible or teach something to others.  It is curious indeed how too often we prefer to ignore all this and instead stagnate.

Paul writes in Philippians, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  This implies effort.  Hoping and wishing does not get us to the goal.  We must press on toward Christ by the grace and strength of our Lord.  And how do we know Christ but by reading his word, which also takes effort.  Effort that is too often shunned.  We need to think, and some, sadly, have abandoned that long ago.  It is curious how when answers and truths lay in front of us, we flatly refuse them because we would rather not lift a finger.  Curious, but not surprising.  May God continue to have mercy on us.

"It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they can't see the problem." - G.K. Chesterton