World
Physical reality
€ the 'stuff' of the earth and the rest of the universe
Social realities
€relationships among people and groups of people
€systems of exploitations, distribution, communication
€politics
Understanding
€appreciating the dynamics, the interrelationships of parts, which result in patterns of behavior
€discernment of natural laws, forces, which remove the sense of arbitrariness and enable some degree of rational participation
Raw descriptions, raw data, contains no understanding.
You evidence understanding by successfully predicting and shaping outcomes.
Is it true to say "I don't need to understand any more?"
fire, plow, steam engine, printing press, germs, celestial navigation, Krebs cycle, electrons, DNA, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, steel, penicillin, languages, popular culture, market forces, the Butterfly Effect...
Loving God
I am limited by the state of my understanding.
As my understanding grows I can better serve the needs of others.
As my understanding grows my basis for awe and praise of God grows.
€Commitment to seeking the truth can be painful - why?
€If we have enough to be comfortable, if we feel secure, why bother trying to understand more?
€How should we then live?