Our Inconsistencies

There is a notion in our society that Science and Religion are at odds with one another, constantly fighting for the soul of the people.  Science and Religion simply are reflections of differing ways of interpreting reality.  We want to put Science and Religion at odds with one another because it is easier for us if our lives make sense, if everything is consistent, so much work has been put into trying to make whole and complete worldviews that are entirely consistent in every regard.

Yet we are not consistent, in fact, we as humans are entirely inconsistent.  Think of miracles. If we were to go out onto the street and ask 1000 random people if they believed in miracles, i would have to guess that majority of them would believe in Miracles.    Now lets go out and do that again, this time asking if most people believe there is value in Science.  My guess would be that most people also believe in the value of Science.  Science and miracles do not play well together, they are seemingly incompatible, yet most believe or value both.   Our whole beings are no different, souls are a mis-mash of viewpoints and understandings of the universe that are not always cohesive.

Miracles offer us a way into ourselves, into our own inconsistencies.  Religion also offers us a path to explore our own inconsistencies and place them in the light of day.   Think of the miracles of Christ, raising the dead, walking on water, healing the sick, turning water into wine, his own resurrection.  But isn't one of his greatest miracles the fact that he accepts us and loves us through all our inconsistencies?  In religion we can come together completely aware of our own internal mysteries, in fact we encounter in God the biggest mysteries of all.  In church, in community we can explore the Holy Mysteries of God and Christ and the Word and the Spirit, but we can also explore the Holy Mysteries of ourselves.