The late Richard Feynman, the 1965 Nobel Prize winner in quantum electrodynamics, was asked in an interview with the BBC if winning the Nobel Prize was worth it.

Feynman answered, “I don’t know anything about the Nobel Prize. I don’t understand what it’s all about or what’s worth what…I don’t like honors…I don’t see that it makes any point that someone in the Swedish Academy decides that this work is noble enough to receive a prize…”

Then Feynman continued:

“I’ve already got the prize! The prize is the pleasure of finding the thing out…”

There’s a lot of truth in those words!

I once owned a Ford Torino. It was a great car but in its later years began to have difficulty going around corners. The engine would hiccup, sometimes even stall. My local mechanic – Dan – told me the problem was the carburetor and he could fix it for something like 1.8 million dollars. You know how the auto repair business is!

Well, I made two observations. One was that I didn’t have 1.8 million dollars. I didn’t even have a spare hundred dollars in those days. The second was that if Dan, who had never made it past the third grade, could figure out how to fix a carburetor, surely I – with all my advanced degrees (in theology no less) – could do the same.

So I went out and bought a Chilton’s Auto Repair book. Then it was off to the local auto parts store to pick up a carburetor rebuild kit. Armed with all this stuff, I went home to become a mechanic. Once I figured out where the engine was and what part of it held the carburetor, I unbolted the thing, brought it inside the house and started working at the kitchen table. My wife  informed me that kitchen tables are for meals, not for rebuilding carburetors. So I was banished to the musty depths of the cellar. And there, I took the beast apart.

Carefully placing each disassembled piece in the divided sections of an ice cube tray, I broke down that carburetor, thoroughly cleaning the parts that could be kept and replacing the float and other parts that had to be discarded. Then, with great care, I put all the parts together again. Despite the fact that there were still three or four thingy’s left over in the ice cube tray when all was said and done, I thought to myself, “What the heck!” – and bolted the carburetor back onto the engine

I closed the hood. Turned the key.  And do you know what happened?

VROOM!

That baby roared to life! And it ran great for the rest of its life, despite missing a few parts!

Now, I will be the first to say that it was nice to have the good result, and a car that no longer stalled going around corners. That was good.

But the true joy derived from the whole experience came simply from the pleasure of learning how to do it – the pleasure of finding the thing out!

Maybe what Richard Feynman was getting at is that this world is an amazingly rich place – comprised of mysteries yet to be uncovered – complexities to be sorted out – discoveries to be found – knowledge to be deepened – challenges to be overcome – and unknown things to be known.

And when you “find out” these hidden things you experience a deep and wonderful sense of accomplishment!

But the only way to get to the pleasure is by asking questions, seeking answers, knocking on doors, and doing whatever you need to do to find the thing out!

“Why do stars twinkle at night?” has led to great discoveries of astronomy. “How does the human heart work?” has led to advances in medicine. “Why do people suffer?” has guided many to give their lives to alleviating pain and comforting those who hurt.

In fact, every great human advance has come about because someone dared to ask, seek and knock.

And that is the heart and soul of what it means to have faith!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

You see, Jesus taught that faith is not really a static religious exercise in believing stuff.

No, faith is an active way of living.

Of asking, seeking and knocking.

And what a great joy it is when you slam the hood shut on that new thing you’re trying, turn the ignition key and – hoping for the best – hear that motor roar to life!

VROOM!

Oh the pleasure of finding things out!