Life Matters - October 5, 2022
“You can lead people to knowledge, but you can’t make ‘em think.” Recently I came across the “think-appetizer” restructured from that ancient maxim; “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” And so, I “thinked.” Not that I never have before. (In case you’re wondering!)
As a young lad I made the mistake once of feeding the horses before leading them to the watering trough for their twice daily drink of water. Every horse was so eager to get back to its feed that they ignored the water despite all my splashing attempts to get them interested. I even tried pulling the head of one down to dip its nose into the refreshing, cool water. As I said, “of one,” I made the mistake only once… and so would you after being flung about by the powerful neck of a muscular horse. My brain went into overdrive and ever after the horses got their water before their feed.
There was no use trying to persuade those horses of their need for water. Their appetites had been fully whetted, their overpowering instinct was to not be interrupted, to get back to filling their bellies, with what their appetites longed for.
Can we take a lesson from the horse? No, I couldn’t make the horse drink. Horses have one-track minds, “tunnel vision,” we might say. What I could do, however, was to give them water and feed, in that order. The water always needed to come first. I’m sure they all are limited in how long they can continue to function without any intake of water, but I decided not to run any test lest I incur the wrath of their owner, who, by the way, had become my brother-in-law when he married my eldest sister.
Horses not drinking. People not thinking. Horses don’t drink when they are distracted by other wants. People don’t think when ...hmm… Perhaps we don’t suffer (when we do suffer) so much from lack of availability of knowledge as a lack of desire for it. Perhaps… some are even now “testing the waters,” (of knowledge) then backing off, to see how long the “unpleasant” task of thinking can be avoided.
Thinking can be, and is, refreshing. For sure to those who are thirsting for knowledge. “Knowledge,” the Bible says, “of the Holy (God) is understanding” (Pro. 9:10) we also have the warning about a knowledge that “puffeth up.” (1 Cor. 8:1) there is no contradiction in this as the former is referring to an understanding, an awareness, of reality and the latter to a “tunnel vision” sort of knowledge that obscures facets of reality that would keep us from being “puffed up.” A well-rounded knowledge is the kind that leads to wisdom, (1 Cor. 1:30) to Christ who is “The end of the Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.” (Rom. 10:4) Knowledge has led us through the Law to Jesus Christ – Wisdom makes and keeps us aware of our initial and ongoing need for His sustaining grace. But neither knowledge nor wisdom do us any good unless we take it in. When we ponder, muse, consider, take to heart and mind, think and think deeply, concerning Truth, then, and only then, do we allow God access into our hearts and minds. Knowledge can be initially painful, which is why it is so often turned away from, is it not? But when we accept and endure painful knowledge for the sake of Truth then that light of Truth spreads, penetrates, dissipates the walls of darkness creating “tunnel vision,” allowing us to see the “big picture.” And when we see the “big picture,” then, by the grace of God, His Spirit becomes as the cool, refreshing water that enables us to make wise choices.
So, I’m thinking. I’m thinking how impossibly difficult it would be to be America’s commander in chief, to have the weight of all that responsibility, to bring opposing parties together for policy decision-making and at the same time knowing that God is not allowed into the process. Because our government has somehow devolved from the position supporting freedom of religion to a legislated position demanding freedom from religion. Perhaps this explains our 46th President’s “tunnel vision” … Perhaps this also explains the venom with which our 45th was, and continues to be, hated and attacked… Because he thinks…
Life Matters!