On this day in 1859, in Edinburgh Scotland, Arthur Ignatius Conan was born, who is better known as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle struggled with a turbulent childhood. His father was a raging alcoholic which caused the children to be taken away frequently. His father also battled severe mental illness and would endure stints in the insane asylum. Arthur received a formal education and started his career in the medical field. He would serve as a doctor on a whaling ship in the Arctic and then on a steamship in Africa. He opened an office in London as an eye doctor but closed it because ZERO patients visited. Doyle wasn't only intellectual but he was also very athletic. He was exceptional at both soccer and cricket. Arthur was also fascinated with crime. He even considered himself to be an amateur detective. All of these different attributes came together to form Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The world's most famous detective used some of the most unusual ways of sleuthing in order to solve crimes. The first Holmes story was called "A Study in Scarlet" which was purchased in 1886 by the Ward and Lock Company and was published in 1887 in the Beeton Christmas Annual. Audiences were captivated by Holmes. Arthur would continue to write about Sherlock Holmes for years. He pitted Holmes against Professor Moriarty. Eventually, Holmes would die in this epic battle only to return ten years later (due to Doyle needing more money). He wrote 56 short stories about Holmes and four novels. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson weren't his only famous creations, he also wrote the book "The Lost World" which would be the basis for our modern Jurassic Park books/movies. Doyle was also a devout occultist, spiritualist, and mystic. He never could come to terms with truth or God.
Doyle's main character was created to be the master of
solving mysteries but sadly Doyle could not solve the greatest mystery ever,
the mystery of his soul. The New Testament uses the term mystery multiple
times, one such occasion is in Colossians 2:2 which says "that their
hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love and attaining to
all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding resulting in
a true knowledge of GOD'S MYSTERY, that is, Christ Himself." The idea of
mystery means something that was hidden. This passage tells us that in the
person of Jesus Christ alone are hidden all the treasures of God. He alone is
the answer, He alone is the way, He alone is salvation. Jesus is not a clue or
a key, but He Himself is the answer to God's greatest mystery, the means of
salvation for humanity. Christ alone is the sufficient answer. Has the mystery been solved through the person of Jesus Christ for you?
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