A gentleman who rides the same bus as I, is an avid history buff. He reads constantly and any conversation usually centers around that topic. One morning he told me his latest focus is on 鈥淭he Age of Enlightenment.鈥� He threw out a few 鈥渨hy鈥� and 鈥渨hat if鈥� questions while I mused on what might have been different in both the scenario and the outcome. I do remember enough of my high school history to know that it was 鈥渁 time of dramatic upheaval in the disciplines of science, religion, philosophy and politics.鈥� (Huff Post)
Since my daily bus ride offers me lots of quiet time, I continued musing on that topic and then moved on to the start of the 20th century. What, if anything I asked myself, could have been done to change the situations leading to World War 1, the Great Depression and World War 2? Although I don鈥檛 have the ability even to pretend that I have an answer, I do know what an impact it continues to have on my in-laws who lived in Europe at that time. As well, I recall men going off to war and then, the raw emotional upheaval in the lives of the families of those who did not return.
I couldn鈥檛 help but recall some of the battles we all face continually, as do people of every time and place: pain, suffering and disappointments, among other things. 鈥淲hy?鈥� What if?鈥� we continue to ask but often without answers. I love how the song-writer Charles Albert Tindley (1905) responded.
鈥淏ye and bye, when the morning comes. When the saints of God are gathered home. We鈥檒l tell the story of how we鈥檝e overcome. We鈥檒l understand it better bye and bye!鈥�
鈥淔or now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face鈥�.鈥� (1 Corinthians 13:12)
