In thinking over Clyde Crews question on answers, I've been thinking about his question ...why isn't the meaning of things clear...agreeable and available to all?
This is one of the mysteries of life; that a meaning that satisfies you does not satisfy me. Or even, that a meaning once solid for me has become more like shifting sand, and I must search for something deeper or more concrete.
Why answers don't work forever is a mystery to me. I know that truth is unchangeable. But I conclude our understanding of truth must grow even as we grow, must change even as we change. And that when an understanding has reached a climax in a particular answer, then we must find a better answer.
All of this must seem very abstract. Here is a concrete example. Early on in my religious life, I held to one notion of suffering. That notion consisted in the phrase, "Carry your cross" and "God will never give you more than you can bear." These concepts espoused a great truth, that there is value in suffering. For years, this truth sufficed when life became challenging.
Then, along came a period of intense darkness. Life became confusing, and the pain intense. Suddenly the very words that had sustained me earlier in life failed me. In fact, not only were the meanings lost on me, but the words actually seemed accusatory. I searched for something more, something deeper, something with a better answer. I finally found it in words spoken to me by someone else, words taken from Romans "For those who love God, all things work together for good." The shift is sutle, but it totally changed my concept of pain and suffering. From passive acceptance, I learned to focus rather on the good that could result.
That is my story of an answer that transformed over time. Maybe you have such an example to share. I'd be interested in hearing about it.
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