Life Itself Is Supernatural

                    Life, as we know it, cannot be explained. We don't really know how cells can be made to live, grow, and multiply. We have identified many little pieces, but we don't know a lot about how everything works together to create the synergy, which is life itself.  Scientists are not even sure about the electron. Is it a particle or a wave type event?  We sort of know that gravity is real, but what causes it? Haven't figured that out yet.

         The entire body of human knowledge that we do understand and use to run our civilization is like the sand in a sandbox. By comparison, what we don't know can be represented by all the remaining sand on all the beaches and in all the deserts, worldwide. There is precious little of total reality that we have actually figured out.

          Therefore, if we define "supernatural" as those things that cannot be explained or verified by science, then most of human life is supernatural, because science cannot yet explain it. Despite our scientific ignorance, however, we are capable of having complete faith in all that reality slowly reveals to us. What we know and don't know are inseparably linked in truth and we are the ones who must change our perspectives as science reveals how newly discovered understandings link with what is already known.

          It is my belief that even scientific knowledge does not progress without humans experiencing a spiritual sense of the unknown. Faith is a result when spiritual inspiration leads to expected outcomes. This is true for both scientific inquiry, as well as spiritual and religious growth. A calm sense of the unknown somehow leads to verifiably new experiences and understandings.

          In short, life is a wonderful, supernatural series of startling experiences, until new knowledge and perspectives are revealed, understood, and accepted. Enjoy and celebrate what comes your way and that which is confirmed as truth through your life experiences, but also, keep searching and reaching for what you haven't yet grasped, because that is where the greatest expanse of reality resides.

       

       

       

       

The Meaning of Easter

        For many Christians, Easter represents a historical event in which the anointed Son of God arose from the dead after being crucified as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind. It is taught, if you believe this, you will be saved and go to heaven when your life on earth concludes.

        For many other Christians, Easter represents a historical event in which a Jewish teacher/prophet from Nazareth was crucified because of his non-violent resistance movement against the Roman domination system of his time and the Jewish Temple authorities who collaborated with the Romans.

        Synagogue teachings written decades after Jesus' death, for followers of The Way,  included resurrection stories (i.e. the New Testament gospels) because the impact of Jesus’ teachings and example was not extinguished by his torture and death. It was also believed, at the time, that only a supernatural intervention by God to establish God’s Kingdom of unconditional love and social justice on earth, could and would completely defeat human imperial domination systems.  Some early Christians also came to believe that this heavenly intervention would be initiated by a second coming of Jesus to earth.

        They were wrong about any imminent supernatural intervention because one did not occur during the two generations after Jesus' crucifixion nor in any generation since the gospels were written. However, the spiritual understandings inspired by the teachings of Jesus as well as other religious leaders over the millennium, have slowly nudged human thinking and institutions closer to the demonstration of unconditional love and equality in human justice.

        However you choose to interpret Easter is up to what makes sense and personally satisfies you. Still, despite any differences in historical perspectives among Christians, we might all agree that living our lives consciously, with love, forgiveness, and a passion for justice, is the spiritual foundation and the highest metaphysical intent of the Easter message.

        The English word “repent” as found in the Bible comes from a Greek word "metanoeo" which means something like to rethink or to think in a new way. So, each Easter, we are reminded that whenever we find ourselves thinking in ways that prevent us from loving or being just towards one another, we can and are perpetually invited to repent. 

         If we humans can increase our spiritual capacity to love, forgive, and to seek out justice for all, doesn't that mean that God's Kingdom is spreading on earth, as it is in heaven?

     Amen and so it is.