Prayer: The Gate

You know the weight and body mass of the bee, is in scientific theory too large and heavy to fly with the wing span the bee is given.  But it flies anyway.  It doesn’t know it can’t fly. 

(This is no longer true.  Science has proved the bumble bee can fly by changing the model to include “flexible” wings.  Thanks to reader Brian W. for keeping me from repeating false information from a story that started in the 1930’s and has now been updated.) My point of the example, was that not everything is simple or easily explained.  Life is full of wonder and miracles.  It is a shame if there is no mystery or wonder in our lives. 

Every single one of us is a cherished spiritual being.  Every one of us is a radiant child of God.  I believe this to be true.

So many people of different backgrounds and spiritual awareness visit this site each year.  I have had comments, prayer requests and emails from Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics and Buddhists.  I ponder often how we come to the belief we carry with us.  I have not had mean or hateful comments or email.  Most visit here with love and grace and it is awesome.  This is a site where we look for what we have in common, not for what separates us.

Our intellect has a journey, we read, we take classes, we grow.  Our body has a journey  and we must care for our eyes, hearing, muscles, bones, teeth and health over the course of our life.  Our spirit has a journey as well.  If your spirit is not on a journey, I ask “Why Not?  Why would you neglect this very important part of you?”

I have shared with you in the past, that I have several friend who are atheists,  There have been times I have been made aware they do no understand my faith.  They think I appear normal except for this crazy, old fashioned, unsophisticated area of faith.  Their grandparents went to church, but they didn’t know any better.  So people of Engineering, Science, Physics, Women’s Studies, and Math have outgrown the need to feed the spirit.  Prayer is an activity for less sophisticated people.  Baby boomers; people of the atomic age know things and control their own destiny.

This is what I think about it.  If the atheist believed in a supreme being, it would conflict with principles they believe to be true.  Principles of Science, math, engineering.  It is all or nothing thinking.  If there is science, there cannot be God.  The process of Creation in Genesis and the process outlined by Darwin follow the same path.  There is light, and there is darkness, and they become night and day.  There is water and there is land and they separate.  There are fish in the water and there are animals on the land and it is good.  There is man.  So the steps are the same.  Christians believe God did it.

There are many theories.  There is the Big Bang theory.  There is evolution.  There is random chaos.  Creation and creativity are chaotic.  God certainly has his own time frame.  He created it all in six days and then he rested.  His day might be a year to  you and me, or maybe it is longer.  Maybe a day is a day.  We must not get bogged down in the details.  We all know that the devil is in the details.  We start focusing on that and loose track of the main thing.   What is important is the journey.

I also know this to be true.  If you want to know if God is there you have to look for him.  God does knock on your door.  You are witness to miracles every day, but if you are not looking for them; you won’t see them.  You have to invite and enter.  You invite God to be with you, as you would anyone you hold in respect.  You enter into his presence.  That is where you find God and all are welcome at his table.

One friend told me once that if there were a God, the terrible things in the world would not happen.  My answer is God is not a magic button, or cosmic bell hop.  We are responsible for service in the world.  We are to take care of each other.  God gave us redemption through his son.  God gives us guidance (if we ask).  He gives us comfort, peace, strength, wisdom, health, … anything we ask for.  He doesn’t force Himself on us. We pray for others, and for ourselves.  We have to love each other.  That is how the world will know we are of Him.  We have to enter and invite.

I asked my friend if he had ever tried to talk to God.  He said no, never.  “How do you know He is there?” he asked.  “How do you know He is not?”  I asked. 

I have lingered in God’s presences.  He is there.  He is here.  No doubt in my mind.