Philosopher Brian Swimme and historian Mary Evelyn Tucker reflect on the story of the universe:
We are the first generation to learn the comprehensive scientific dimensions of the universe story. We know that the observable universe emerged 13.7 billion years ago, and we now live on a planet orbiting our Sun, one of the trillions of stars in one of the billions of galaxies in an unfolding universe that is profoundly creative and interconnected. With our empirical observations expanded by modern science, we are now realizing that our universe is a single immense energy event that began as a tiny speck that has unfolded over time to become galaxies and stars, palms and pelicans, the music of Bach, and each of us alive today. The great discovery of contemporary science is that the universe is not simply a place, but a story—a story in which we are immersed, to which we belong, and out of which we arose.
This story has the power to awaken us more deeply to who we are. For just as the Milky Way is the universe in the form of a galaxy, and an orchid is the universe in the form of a flower, we are the universe in the form of a human. And every time we are drawn to look up into the night sky and reflect on the awesome beauty of the universe, we are actually the universe reflecting on itself. And this changes everything. [1]
Author John Philip Newell honors the work of scientist and Catholic priest Thomas Berry (1914–2009) who witnessed God throughout the cosmos:
Berry wanted us to be amazed, constantly amazed, by this one, single, interrelated body of the universe that new science describes as a single multiform reality, or as “Undivided Wholeness in Flowing Movement.” [2] It just keeps flowing and flowing into ever-new form. Four and a half billion years ago it flowed into the form of a planet of burning molten rock. And over the course of four billion years this globe of burning rock, Earth as it was later called, has transformed itself into birds and bees and butterflies, and into the emergence of human thought and music and love. We are each a shining flow of sacred energy.
Homo sapiens, meaning wise ones, appeared 200,000 years ago. We are latecomers in this story. The term “wise ones” does not accurately describe what we have been to one another and to Earth, but it could yet describe what we will become. As Berry adds, there is good reason to hope that “the universe is for us rather than against us.” [3] Given the dangerous moments that have been navigated thus far in the unfolding story of humanity and Earth, there is good reason to hope. It is now up to us to live from the wisdom of the Spirit that is deep within us. [4]
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Skye Jethani; December 6, 2024
The Idol of Desire: Not by Bread Alone
Jesus had been fasting in the desert for 40 days. He was understandably hungry, so the enemy presented to him a very practical and relevant idea. “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” The enemy was not saying that Jesus should prove his identity as God’s Son by turning stone into bread, although that is often how we misread the verse. The enemy was saying, “If you are God’s Son then you have every right to satisfy your desires. You don’t have to deny yourself or be hungry. Go ahead, make some bread and eat. You deserve it.”
Of course, Jesus was God’s Son, which God the Father had declared at his baptism just before Jesus entered the wilderness, but Jesus rejected this invitation to satisfy his natural desire for food. Instead, he said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Many Christians fixate on what they understand to be sinful desires, or desires that are ungodly, unhealthy, or unnatural. But it’s important to notice that Jesus’ desire for food was none of these things. Hunger is normal. Bread is not evil. And eating is not a violation of God’s law. So, why did Jesus deny himself this ordinary and appropriate desire? Because he understood that our lives are not ultimately sustained by what we eat, but by God’s will. True life is to be found by living in communion with him, not simply by pursuing our desires.
The temptation he faced in the wilderness is one we face every day. We live in a culture that tells us we are defined by our desires, and the purpose of life is to satisfy them. We have elevated desires to the status of rights and the thought that a desire should intentionally go unfulfilled is utterly inconceivable to most people today. To deny ourselves a desire is to deny our very identity! Even worse, telling someone else they should not satisfy a desire has become an unpardonable sin. Doing so may get you labeled “judgmental,” “intolerant,” or even a “bigot.”
That is why, more than ever, we need to hear the wisdom of Jesus: we do not live by bread alone. We are more than our desires, our lives are more than our appetites, and the purpose of life is more than satisfying our natural longings, however real and legitimate they may be. True life flows from the living God, and our deepest longings are only satisfied in union with him.
DAILY SCRIPTURE
WEEKLY PRAYER
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no selfish desires may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no troubles can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy ambitions may tempt aside. Give us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, perseverance to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
