Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
There’s life on Mars! Well, not exactly. On Monday NASA just successfully landed another rover on Mars. Its name is Curiosity. It worked through a grueling, complicated landing procedure worthy of the most insane Olympic gymnast, and it’s already begun poking around. There isn’t exactly life on Mars, but there is curiosity, and that’s definitely the stuff of life.
Curiosity is not only the heart of science; it’s also the heart of spirituality: to deepen and expand our awareness, to see the world and ourselves clearly and to say Yes to what is. We are curious about God, to know God more deeply; we are curious about the world, how it is and how we belong in it; we are curious about ourselves and how we work and who we are and what God creates us to be.
If we are truly curious we are open to whatever we may find. We work continually to identify and overcome our political, religious, psychological and emotional prejudices in order to see more clearly. We accept that we will have to change our assumptions and beliefs. We look at God, and don’t turn away just because it’s too mysterious to comprehend. Sometimes we come to see God in a new way. We look at our sin and don’t turn off the lights when we see stuff we’re ashamed of. We look at the world, and don’t back away from the beauty or the evil or the suffering or the wonder. We explore our human life together, and we don’t close our eyes to reality. We are curious about each moment, curious to see what is, not just what we expect or want.
For those who live in fear, “belief” can mean defiantly clinging to a cherished notion regardless of the evidence. But my belief is that God is in everything, and that everything is evidence of grace. I seek to be open to what is—whatever I find— trusting that God is creating a wonderful world, trusting that God will be there and that truth will be full of grace. I seek to live in the full depth of curiosity, which is unceasing wonder and love.
Meanwhile, there is life on Mars—a little of my life, a bit of our human character. Go, Curiosity!
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net