The value of Ignorance

Grandpa and I were in the cellar putting up some bottles of wine he had made, wine that the whole county praised as being the best. Grandpa never took credit for himself but always passed the credit to grandma. He always said it was her tender care of the blackberry bushes that produced the sweetest of berries thus the best of wine. I never argued that because her berry pies always won the blue ribbon at the county fair.

Anyways, as we were doing this my thoughts went back to the sermon the pastor preached last Sunday on the evils of imbibing of alcohol. And I asked granda his thoughts of it since it was obvious that he did not agree with the pastor on this.

"Boy", he said, "I have great respect for the pastor. He knows the Good Book forward and backward. And there be a lot of truth in what he says. Many a good man has met his ruin by making drink his best friend. And every town or city has at least one person in it that has the bottle as his best friend.

And in the eyes of the pastor these men have replaced God in their soul with the bottle. And when you think about it in these terms he speaks truthfully. These unfotunates are depending upon the bottle to get them through the day instead of depending upon God. So, boy, I cannot say I am in total disagreement with the pastor.

But the bottle is not the only thing that has replaced God in the eyes of many. Some have replaced Him with government. Others have done so with money. There even those who have used science as a means to replace God. Yet, each of these when used properly and with the intent and purpose of their existance should never be a replacement of God.

One thing to remember, boy, God is as He is and nothing can replace Him. The fact that there are so many different beliefs in regards to Him only betrays our ignorance about Him not our knowledge of Him. It is from our ignorance that we know faith and hope are necessities for man's belief in the Almighty not our knowledge of Him.

In ignorance there is bliss. In knowledge we find wisdom. What greater wisdom is there, boy, then the wisdom that comes from the recognition of our own ignorance?"

Thinking on that question a bit, a grin came across my face as I finally answered; "I don't know, grandpa, I really don't know."

Grandpa grinned back at me and replied; "Niether do I, boy, neither do I. Tis a question my grandpappy asked me when I was your age and I still don't know. And I hope I never become so arrogant as to believe I do know."