Only One Easy Answer

About the Source of Wisdom: “That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.”

~Job 28:7 (NRSV)

A life without problems is no life at all—when we are of our right mind, we wouldn’t believe anyone who might say, “Life: got it sorted.” No, time sorts them out. Problems are so implicit to life that searching for solutions, and preferably an easy answer, is our common default.

We have learned to run to the next thought—the easy, or easiest, way through the problem. We commonly find the hard work option less palatable.

The way we leap from one quick-fix to another in the hope of the grand elixir or panacea is indicative of where and how we place our faith.

Our allegiances are clearly to this apparent wisdom of ‘discoverable’ ease when deep down within we know we’ve been there a thousand times and more; it’s an everyday experience. And we still follow, blindly, because of faint hope in the promise, and because it’s where the crowd lingers—many follow, so the advice must be good!

While we follow as sheep we don’t realise our results that way; we reach square one, back to the drawing board, singly, alone, despondent. We follow in a huddle, yet feel abandoned when the sought-after results fade from vision.

Failure has a certain loneliness about it.

Wising-Up to the ‘Easy Answer’

If there was an easy answer for our problems everyone would be doing it and no one would make any money from the so-called easy answer. That, unfortunately, is not our world.

There is only one easy answer and it is not a popular one, unfortunately.

It’s the direct path; one most people shy away from: the path leading to God and the right way. That path gets us there, wherever ‘there’ is. Only that path is the guarantee.

The glaring truth regarding this path, however, is this ‘easy way’ is no easier than we originally perceived it to be. Yet, it’s probably no harder, either.

Taking Active Part in the Only Operable Easy Answer

Why life is hard is a mystery, but at least the challenges are similar if not the same for everybody. Sure, some people have it much harder than others, but the human condition is basically the same across the board.

Taking an active part in the only operable easy answer is partnering with God upon the work before us today. This is no wild goose chase, and the path is utterly trustworthy.

There is no easy way to do the hard thing, but the easiest way is doing it.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.