“Knowledge puffs up,” says the Bible; and the one “who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:1).
This is an age-old truth for humanity, generally forgotten, dismissed, or simply ignored, yet still powerfully true. The more we think we know, the more ignorant we become.
The truly Learned and Wise see that, as their knowledge increases, so does their ignorance—the more they know, the more they realize that they do not know much and fail to understand even less. What an irony, considering how much information is now at our finger tips.
Just how much do we know? It’s old hat to say that we now live in an “information age.” Input, data, tons of information is now at our fingertips 24/7, 365. How many gigabytes of storage does your computer’s disc-drive hold? One gigabyte of storage can hold 894,784 pages of plain text or 4,473 books or 640 web pages, etc. That is just one gigabyte. The average HDD now has 590 GB in capacity. What are we doing with all this information? Where are we going with it?
Data has to be interpreted. Facts signify nothing without connecting the dots to give them meaning. And meaning has to do with intent or purpose, i.e., direction, which also touches upon the question, “why.”
There is utilitarian knowledge, knowing how to get something done, work something out, how to design, or how to make, build, and fix things. But then there is the overarching, big-picture, or worldview knowledge—knowing why we do what we do, beyond the immediate reward. That is, there is knowing where or how we fit into the big scheme of things, the meaning and purpose of life question.
King Solomon, the Wise, had this to say about learning: “Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Ecclesiastes 12:11). That being the case, we should ask, to what end should we spend so much time seeking knowledge? Answer: “To make life better, to live easier, become more prosperous, to become better masters of our own destiny!” Thus, said the generation of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as that of the age of the Industrial Revolution. And so do we say, the generation of the Information Age.
Now consider the plight of humanity in the last century, 1901 to 2000, and on into the beginning of this new 21st century. And let us ask. Has our scientific, industrial revolutionary technological knowledge and development succeeded in making humanity’s life here on earth much easier, more prosperous, and enjoyable? Have we truly now become masters of our own destiny? Think carefully and consider the big picture of all of humanity here on earth, before you quickly say, “Yes, of course it has!”
As a whole, is humanity experiencing more peace than ever before? Are we more serene of heart? Do we have more peace of mind, more tranquil spirits? Are we flourishing in both body and soul? In terms of all of humanity, is there now less suffering going on in the world? Has humanity become more equitable? Are we now that much closer to preventing evil, to stopping all wars, and bringing an end to all poverty? Can this generation, or the next, or even the next one after that, guarantee all future generations that they will leave earth in a much better condition than it was before its own time?
I’ve already noted what King Solomon, the Wise, had to say about learning. But I didn’t finish his thought. He then adds these words, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is one’s whole duty. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (See Ecclesiastes 12:9-14.)
One more thing, in terms of knowledge, the Bible also tells us that, “The fool says in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).
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