Most of our Atrium Catechists come to my house for dinner and discussions on Tuesday nights. We’ve just begun Genesis 1. It seems appropriate that during the season where we are called to ask big questions about ourselves, I found myself Sharpie in hand ready to scribe their questions and ideas – basically try to keep up with their conversations.
To say I’m humbled each week to listen to their wondering, give historical or linguistic context to their pondering, and push back to assist their discovery process is an understatement. Their perspectives are like divergent colors of embroidery floss – beautiful in isolation. But when they all unite they create an intricate, hauntingly beautiful glimpse of God.
Dr. Montessori’s most beautiful impressionistic story for six year olds begins by naming one of humanity’s deepest questions. She knew that question also had a second one hidden inside – why am I here?
Her story begins this way: “people so very long ago wondered where does all this come from – the trees, and water, and stars. So they would go to their wisest of the wise with the question, ‘Where did all that is come from?’”
So during this beginning of Lent, it is good to be bought back to the basics by wonder and questions. Before this week’s evaporate, I need to place it on the Lenten table to ponder for myself.
“Why did God need to create light? The darkness was sufficient for God. Creation began in the darkness. Why does creation need light?”
“The light is like the birthing of purpose. The darkness is like the germinating of the plan.”
“Is it a symbol of the consciousness vs the unconsciousness?”
“The darkness wasn’t chaos (the deep). It was something not malevolent. It was just darkness.” (The Hebrew idea of the “face of the deep” was an brooding chaos.)
“But look God’s essence didn’t abandon the chaos – God’s essence [someone interjected: love] was wanting to embrace it and even breathed on it. [kissed it]”
“Did God separate the light from the darkness because he was proud of the creation of light?”
“I think, God was making boundaries. Defining terms.”
“Is there a difference between lonely and wanting more companionship?”
“Is our purpose to worship God?”
“That seems really arrogant.”
“Is worship what makes us feel like we have purpose?”
“The grass is the early form of wheat – that gives daily bread. Then the bushes are named and then to the trees that have fruit – not just daily bread but enjoyment. And not just the fruit but recognizing the seed in the fruit. Continuity.”
“God made the dry land. It is like a seed in the ocean. God asked the dry land to make more seeds. God made all the things before. Here, God say this is what would be good [God’s plan]. The earth had its purpose now – to become self sufficient.”
“The seed was in the chaos. God could see it there.”
“God gave us up and down with the heavens and the earth. Then God gave us left and right with the dry land separating from the water. Then God gave us 360 degree perspective with the sun and the moon giving us time.”
“The sun and the moon weren’t gods. They had a purpose, too.”
“God had a special place in his heart for the stars. God didn’t leave the stars out of the story. God tucked them in at the end.”
And as Dr. Montessori’s story continues: “And the wisest of the wise said, “It came as a gift from the God With No Hands…. … and from all the tiniest elements to the most giant of the stars they respond to the God With No Hands, ‘we hear and offer our work.’“