Life Is Not a Problem to Be Solved, by Regis Martin

By Regis Martin, Crisis Magazine, Nov. 28, 2023

Regis Martin is Professor of Theology and Faculty Associate with the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He earned a licentiate and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. …

Life is a mystery to be lived and, not infrequently, endured, which is what makes it so profound and persisting a drama.

People often say that life is a problem waiting to be solved. Like the sum of two plus two, for instance, for which one needn’t be a rocket scientist to unpuzzle. Or even putting some guy on the moon, for which an understanding of rocket science would certainly prove helpful.

But life is not a problem to be solved. Rather, it is a mystery to be lived and, not infrequently, endured, which is what makes it so profound and persisting a drama. Indeed, the sheer unpredictability of the thing makes life both dangerous and delightful. At every turn, you are forced to face a future you simply cannot foresee. …