There are More Things in Heaven and Earth...

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. – Hamlet

I consider myself a questioner.

In the quote above, Horatio had just seen a ghost, something completely outside his knowledge and experience, and yet he was seeing it with his own eyes.  He didn’t refuse to acknowledge it, nor was he speculating on something without looking into it for himself.

It’s very easy to fall into the habit of not questioning.  It’s a very human thing to do, not merely the habit of the rabidly fundamentalist or total skeptic.  Just accepting what one learns and believing it wholesale, and even sometimes judging or (worse) being afraid of someone who believes differently.

But there are more things in heaven and on earth than are understood – or even dreamed of – in the systematized beliefs of human beings.  In the religious, scientific, political, or cultural dogmas we hold dear.  More things that dare us to acknowledge them.  Because to question and to search out and to investigate and consider and reason out is utterly human, too.

The real challenge comes in the intersection of and the conflict between those belief systems.  More and more, people are becoming polarized, holding to one extreme of belief or the other, unwilling to give an inch.

The answer isn’t giving up one’s beliefs.  It isn’t mere “tolerance” of different beliefs, either.  The answer is love.

Recently, there was a tragedy in Chattanooga where four Marines and a sailor were murdered by a young Muslim man.  What happened afterwards was a testament to love.  The local Muslim community spoke up at the memorial service and grieved with them.  They donated more than $20,000 to the families of the victims, and for months afterwards a Muslim-owned restaurant gave free meals to armed services members.

That doesn’t mean that these Muslims changed their beliefs, nor does it mean that the surrounding, deeply Christian community changed theirs, either.  At some point, a discussion about respective beliefs does need to happen, but the most important thing that needs to happen is love.

That’s the case whether we’re talking about climate change, conservative or liberal political views, the separation of church and state, evolution vs. intelligent design being taught in schools, or any hot potato issue you could think of.

Behind those beliefs, we’re all human beings.  We might be labeled because of our beliefs, but our beliefs don’t represent the sum total of who we are.  We’re all unique individuals with an intrinsic value utterly apart from the molecules that make up our bodies, the food we eat, or the air we breathe.

With that in mind, I’d like to dedicate this blog to unraveling some of the most complicated hot potato issues in a way that respects all different viewpoints while still attempting to resolve seemingly impossible conundrums.  Love is the starting point, but perhaps the next step in getting along is understanding.