Mysteries

“Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious … one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God … is the one I’m telling you about.”—Acts 17:22–23 NLT

Charles Ives was a kind of maverick. A full-time insurance executive, he also became an important American composer. Born in 1874, he was a kind of revolutionary, pioneering approaches to music no one previously had considered.

Perhaps his most performed composition has been “The Unanswered Question.” Originally composed in 1906, this brief piece leaves listeners pondering their existence and their lives. The work is dominated by a trumpet solo playing a simple melody that asks questions over a background of strings. All but the last question, the unanswered question, are answered by a flute quartet.

Throughout time, people have pondered the seemingly unanswered questions of life. Paul witnessed this perspective when he was in Athens. A central part of their community was an altar dedicated to “an unknown God.” Paul urged them to realize that God did not need to be unknown. He wants to be known.

You will face many unknowns: questions that don’t seem to have answers, events that don’t seem to make sense, and things you don’t understand.

These are reminders of how much each of us needs God in our lives. We need to realize our own human limits and depend on Him. We need to foster our relationship with Him, to know His Word, to seek Him for the answers we need, and to find meaning and purpose in serving Him.

Reflection Question: What questions have you been pondering lately?