Where Are The Answers?

by Kyle Wiseley

It seems to me that there are four basic questions with which all humanity wrestles:

· Where did we come from?

· Why are we here?

· Where are we going?

· What does it all mean?

I suspect every individual, regardless of religious tradition or outside of such, ponders these questions at one time or other. In fact, it seems to me that all religious thought finds its foundation in these questions. I suspect that our individual commitment to this inquiry spans a continuum from those of us who have little or almost no interest in the matter, to those of us who are almost obsessive in finding the answers. The greater portion of us fall somewhere in the space between these two extremes.

Personally, I find this to be a “good news/bad news” situation; the bad news being that there are no answers, but the good news is that the questions are amazingly interesting and the process of seeking those perpetually elusive answers is one of the mechanisms by which we accomplish spiritual growth.

Different faith traditions approach this conundrum in a vast variety of ways, and even within some specific traditions the approach ranges across the entire continuum, with some finding definitive answers within scripture or institutional tradition and others finding nourishment in the seeking process itself. I can only relate the reality of my experience drawn from my personal faith journey, and by no means do I assert or even imply that mine is the correct or only way to approach the matter.

My experience began in a strict religious environment where there were a lot of definitive answers accompanied by stringent rules of behavior. Despite the sincere dedication of my parents to that particular approach to religion, I found there only confusion and overpowering guilt and never inner peace. Once I reached a place in my journey where I could develop appreciation of religious practice based on a balance of my own intellectual reasoning and my personal intuitional conclusions which seemed valid, was I able to find the sense of joy, awe and inner peace that gave meaning to my existence.

As Episcopalians we tend to put more emphasis on questions than answers and find support and nourishment as we attempt to assist each other in our struggles with the questions. Hopefully, we offer a safe haven where all who are searching can find support and companionship on our mutual journey towards the ineffable mystery.