A few weeks ago a friend spoke to our worshiping community about his own spiritual journey, the twists and turns it has taken, his rebellion, his longings, the push and pull of the institutional church in his life. I am always struck at the courage a person has to do such a talk: to stand before those you know well and those who are strangers and talk about some of the most intimate and important parts of life. In speaking he told the story of being in a class in Berkeley, California with some of the great thinkers in theology, spirituality and cosmology. It was the beginning days of the class and information about how the Universe works, the sacred nature of it all, was flying through the air. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the level of scientific jargon and concepts. At one point, being a good student,possibly anticipating future exams, he asked:"How much of this information are you expecting us to take in and remember?" The professor answered simply, "Just to the point where you are stunned."
It seems to me that some of the most important work humans do is to be stunned. As I sit looking out my office window an amazing oak tree is rising out of a playground hedged in by massive buildings, asphalt and concrete and yet it spreads its branches and shades the children who play there, sending oxygen into the air that fills their tiny lungs. Stunning!
There are so many things to be stunned about and I don’t even have to get to scientific language. Tiny seeds that grow into food that fuels my body. Hummingbird wings. A baby’s eyelashes. The sunrise this weekend that had the full colors of the rainbow and then some. Watching young adult children at the lip of adventure and feeling your heart grow with the promise of their lives. Standing at the graveside of a 94 year old whose children were so shaped by her faith and love, that they glow with the celebration of her life in the midst of their grief. Sitting beside a young one sounding out words as reading becomes a new skill. The eyes and voices of people singing with joy the songs they love. All stunning!
Perhaps one of the reasons we go for the mundane, that we allow ourselves to be swept away by the unimportant nit-picky details of daily living, is that being stunned can be exhausting. But, oh, who would want to miss the thrill of the Northern Lights or the tart, yet sweet,taste of a fresh picked blueberry?Who would trade a meteor shower for cleaning out the garage? Who would choose organizing your sock drawer over staring at the clear, glass surface of a summer lake?
Think about it. Are you having enough stunned moments in your life? The world is waiting for each of us….and there are no exams to be passed. We need only stand with our mouths….and our hands….and our hearts…wide open and ready.