All the Answers

Wouldn’t it be grand if God spoke to all of us, the way he did to Samuel? A personal communication from the Lord would be a huge help; then we would know exactly which choices to make, what actions to take, when to persist and when to let go.

If we received messages direct from heaven, we could avoid mistakes and heartaches, be free from doubts and disappointments, and be filled with determination. We wouldn’t waste our time on incidentals or exhaust ourselves in futile efforts, but focus our hearts and minds and souls and strength on what really matters. Things would be great.

If God spoke to us directly, we could change the world.

Getting the Message

Sounds great. Where do I sign up?

Of course God would not only have to speak to us, but be able to convince us Who was doing the talking. Otherwise we might ignore what was being said — and we wouldn’t want such an important opportunity to slip by without our notice. The scripture tells us that God even called Samuel by name, yet he very nearly missed the message.

Idolatry

If God tried to contact us, we might be as confused as Samuel was — and go off in search of a human explanation, utterly unaware that the source was divine. In fact, I think we’re even more likely to miss the message, living, as we do, amidst the Cult of Rationality.

In our world the last word on all that is real and true is defined by the scientific method. A good and useful technique has become a god: indisputable, infallible, incorruptible.

We have become convinced that if something cannot be “proved” empirically, it is an artifice, a mistake, a delusion, a lie. If you can’t see it or smell it or taste it or touch it or hear it, it doesn’t exist. Humanity — indeed, all that lives — is understood to be a mere collection of neurons, nerves, and tissue that seeks the least painful stimuli.

The culture of greed and massive accumulation is a logical outcome of this outlook. We worship stuff — because that’s all there is, all that counts, all that matters. There is nothing more.

Except.....

Reality Check

Except amassing stuff leaves us tired and dispirited; a world filled with things feels very empty. We hunger — deeply and undeniably — for something more.

And there are far too many hints that there is something more; something beyond what can be quantified.

No one can give a reason for the way our hearts soar at the strains of Handel’s Messiah; there is no logical explanation of the quiet awe that fills us in the redwood forest; and the impulse to do cartwheels in response to sheer joy serves no useful purpose at all.

A Blessed Partnership

Science and spirituality should never be in competition, but cooperation. We are more than the sum of our parts, but we do have parts, many of which can be treated and healed through medical interventions. Treatments that fail to include the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) are inadequate at best, harmful at worst.

There are more things in heaven and earth than even Shakespeare dreamed of, and more than mere human reason can describe or explain — but the explanations that are developed can improve lives and help to restore the planet. Programs and experiments that evade or ignore their spiritual and ethical implications are misguided and often take destructive and outright evil turns.

A Shared Search

Science is seeking what we all long for: a message that answers our questions; information that puts everything in perspective. Whether the search takes place in a hospital laboratory or a university library, if we look at the stars or soil samples or dendritic cells, whether we are analyzing chemical reactions or translating ancient scriptures, we all yearn for the truth, for meaning, and for a sense of purpose.

No matter who we are or what we do or what we believe, everyone of us wants to understand why we are here and where we are heading.

Christians don’t have to choose one over the other: there is no reason for science and faith to be at odds. Each can bless and support the other. Day by day science reveals the truth of the psalmist’s proclamation; that we — and all creation — are “wondrously made” (Ps 139:14). Those who explore creation are standing on holy ground; they deserve our prayers and respect, but not our worship. Empirical studies can demonstrate a great deal, but there are elements of life that cannot be measured, no matter how sophisticated the technology.

A Listening Ear

If there can be no “proof” of divine communication, how will we know if God is speaking to us? Perhaps the key to hearing is learning to listen.

We can begin by believing that God can speak to us, refusing to be demeaned or dismissed by fundamentalist rationalists. Some people are tone-deaf; that doesn’t mean there isn’t music, just because there are folks who can’t hear it.

When we free our faith from the demands of scientific literalism, we will hear the Voice of the Beloved in a thousand different ways. Words of encouragement may come to us at the sight of a sunset, a rainbow, or a flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk. A spark of divine wisdom may be revealed in a stone, a seashell, the scent of lilacs, or the song of a lark. We may get a taste of heavenly joys in the first sip of coffee, the purr of a kitten, a frolicking squirrel, a loving embrace ...

And we may dream dreams, we may see visions, we may hear Someone call our name.

When we listen carefully, expectantly, our lives will be filled with the sound of God’s unending love song to us. When we listen with faith, seeking understanding, we will be strengthened, encouraged, and enlivened; we will daily be transformed into a more loving, compassionate, and truly holy people. Then our joy — and God’s — will be complete (1 John 1:4).

Virtual hugs and real-time blessings,

Deborah +

This Week's Suggested Spiritual Exercise

Be on the lookout for the many ways in which God speaks to you.