Of ancient dreams we are the sum; our bones link stone to star, and bind our future worlds to come with worlds that were and are.

— Hymn #175 “We Celebrate the Web of Life”, words by Alicia S. Carpenter

I wondered a couple weeks ago about what it is all of you hold in reverence. I am so grateful for my elders who share their insights and wisdom about this so that I can deepen my theological ponderings.

Don wrote to tell me that he’s been studying abiogenesis- the process through which life arises from inorganic substances and thus explains our life on this planet. There are several theories that try to explain the mechanisms behind this occurrence, but given that it is extremely complex and involves research from multiple disciplines, scientists are still working on solving this puzzle. They examine all of the possible chemical reactions, energy sources, and environmental factors that might have been working together to produce the first molecules with biological properties. Don reveres the wonder and mystery that surrounds the beginning of life on Earth and enjoys researching all the possible ways in which our existence might be explained. He wonders, is life an accident or a necessary consequence of the Big Bang?

Keyno called this morning to share his observations about how the Holy Spirit has been moving amongst us and has inspired him to write or take action in some way. Keyno holds in reverence the ways in which we- life itself- continue to create goodness in our interactions with each other. We create the Holy Spirit (and I’ve learned there’s a term for this theology called “Theopraxy”. I plan to learn more about that!) He mentioned to me the Hebrew word “ruach”, which is literally defined as “moving air”. But this moving air, as I’ve discovered as I did more resesarch, can be in the form of breath, a breeze, or violent storms… perhaps like the ones that occurred when the Earth was very young and life was only beginning to form.

In the Hebrew Bible, the concept of Ruach is introduced in the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis:

“The Ruach of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

(Genesis 1:2)

In my Christian Bible (RSV), it reads like this: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

I seem to be running out of time and space to draw the parallels, cross-overs, and divergences between the science and the metaphors (including the hymn at the beginning), so I’m going to let you let your mind wander and wonder as you make connections and revere the mystery of it all. We can ponder it together on October 30th for our Tea and Theology Vespers!