Thursday, December 17, 2015

Season of...

Wonder

Wonder is the longing, doubt, hope, drive, curiosity, faith-in-things-unseen that moves the world forward as we co-create amazing things with God. We are all children in God's great sandbox, playing with raw materials from Her hand.”
Molly Baskette (“The Two Disciplines of Wonder” in Wonder: Advent Devotional of the United Church of Christ)

Molly Baskette makes the point in her article “The Two Disciplines of Wonder” that science and faith are not at odds with one another. In fact, she writes that “the opposite of faith is not doubt—it's certainty.” The universe, including us, is ever evolving—nothing is certain except for continual change. Instead of certainty, our universe is filled with possibility, and humankind is in the business of delving into all its dimensions. Science helps us do that.

What drives us both in faith and science is our sense of curiosity and wonder. Who can look at the night sky and not wonder at its beauty, and question whether we're alone or if others are out there? Who can look into the eyes of a beloved pet and not ponder what they might be thinking? Who can take a walk on a winter day and not be amazed by the diversity of life and how it manages to flourish even in snow? We want to know. We push our knowledge forward because we're innately curious beings. We are created to probe for answers.

My friend, Leslie Lee, posted a video on her Facebook page of a baby panda stretching and yawning. I couldn't stop watching that precious little life form just beginning to open its eyes and wonder the same thing I do--”What's out there?” Connections at the heart level.

We 21st century human beings still stand in awe of the splendor of this world. And that awe swells in us as faith.

                                                          In the Spirit,

                                                               Jane

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