A Misunderstood God

At some point in our journey from cradle to grave, we all ponder the meaning of life. This seems to be—insofar as we can know such things— a uniquely human trait. Presumably, the other animals we share the planet with don’t feel they have a need to know. Hard to say who are the lucky ones.
These essays chronicle my encounters with the natural and unnatural world along the way to a different understanding of what it all means. I don’t have any new answers, just more questions. Maybe God doesn’t have a plan, but I do believe there is a process that was set in motion at the point of creation, a process that will inevitably lead to a result, a result that we can influence through our individual and collective actions.
As I re-read these essays, one thing that came through was the joy to be found in the small things in life, be it sitting in the backyard watching the birds, or playing with blocks, or feeling the bite of a wintry wind against my cheek. I like to think I share that much in common with my fellow animals—an appreciation of the now.
If I were to hope for one thing a reader might take away after reading these essays, it would be a greater appreciation of the mystery that permeates everything around us. From the flight of a bird to the subatomic particles dancing all around us and within us, nothing is as simple or as obvious as it seems. To me, that sense of how little we truly understand about everything is the first step towards understanding anything.