Tasting It

We all forget but still, we are created creatures, we have limits.  Even our best scientific discoveries, while trying to go further, while pursuing the origin of our beginnings, end up at a wall.  A wall that seemingly prevents us from going any further, a wall of finality. 

Underlying all biology, chemistry, cosmology, and other fields of the natural sciences are common physical principals, these we can observe.  Below these, the scientist finds even more order; in fact the deeper science delves, the more orderly and mathematical the world becomes.  Finally, science gets to a point where only assumptions regarding our origin remain.  The human mind goes as far as it can go, until no more can be understood; man's finite mind trying to understand the Creator's infinite mind, no wonder we struggle to understand.

Many of us here would assume God the Creator as the ultimate source, the first mover.  But others seemingly refuse "to bow down" if you will, to the notion of God the Creator, imposing instead far greater, fantastic theories of chance; speculative but non provable scientific hypotheses.

Rational scientists believe theories like these would require a far greater leap of faith than simply, faith in God.

So, "Have faith" we tell each other.

I started to realize how many things I actually put faith in.  Take flying in an airplane for example.  Just looking at the plane from afar, never getting on it, could I have judged by reason alone that it would fly?  Would I thus demand to understand every detail of the airplane, every wiring schematic, every mechanical detail, the principals of aerodynamics, the psychology of the flight crew, the maintenance records, the financial status of the owner of the plane, etc. before I would fly in it?  No, into the darkness I went, taking a huge leap of faith into the workings of all these multiple variables, finally just getting on the plane and trusting. 

Probably, like me, you too already rely a great deal on faith in others; faith in your fellow mankind to do their jobs well, in many areas of your life.

"You can taste 'in the darkness of faith' and come to a surer knowledge than by seeing in the light of reason.  When it comes to ultimate important truths, you cannot judge by reason any more surely than you can tell whether an object is sweet or bitter by looking at it. You must taste it."

"Taste and see that the Lord is sweet." urged St. Bonaventure.  Sometimes, this tasting is the only way to find out.  In tasting we either choose God or we go back to the wildly speculative scientific assumptions for the explanation of our ultimate "source."
  
Many of the great scientific minds have tasted and chosen God.  Here's what has helped me so far:

• opening up to Christian ideas regarding creation, 
• applying natural reason to understand creation: 
• the creation one can actually see and touch and 
• the creation one can't see and touch,
• analyzing the mysteries occurring in my own life and asking: chance or design?, and 
• listening during prayer.     

I too have gradually come to believe what lies beyond this "wall of finality" to be no other than God Himself.

How blind I had become following the ways of the world and shutting out God as an impossibility!  Now, a repentant sinner, I've come to believe in Jesus Christ through the Gospel writings and hence I'm learning even more about God through historical revelation accounts as written in the Bible. 

If I can give you any advice, taste it for yourself.  Start by making a short prayer to God asking Him to give you what you need to begin the journey.  Don't try to understand how it will happen either.  With eyes gradually opened in faith, you'll be led by the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ and you'll begin to see real, concrete manifestations of God everywhere you turn.  In the process, let Him know that you regret your sins and that you accept His forgiveness through His Son.  

You can repeat this prayer in your car, while at work, or any other time throughout the day, simply gather your thoughts and make a brief prayer.  In fact, repeating brief prayers like these put you in the habit of daily communication with God.  Just talk to the One whom created you and know that He will respond, you'll see for yourself.  What have you got to lose?  Nothing.  More importantly, what have you got to gain?  Everything, you are restoring your relationship with God the Almighty, your creator and the creator of the heavens and and the earth.  Everything, including eternal life in paradise, Heaven.

 Tasting it and finding it is sweet.