1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1–5 (NRSV)
I so appreciate Bill Arnold preaching Sunday. Maybe you, like me, were surprised that five short verses held so much truth. It is an inch wide and a mile deep.
God is. God speaks. God changes.
Bill reminded us that God’s word is the creative energy in the world. God speaks and things happen. Our lives are no exception.
Since speaking needs hearing. That makes it clear what our role is in the process. Hearing.
In an age of constant communication and instant news and short attention spans, listening/hearing has become an increasingly lost skill. Stopping long enough to listen is such an important practice. And that happens best when we are not rushed and instead open and curious.
Curiosity is defined as inquisitive interest in others’ concerns : nosiness. I love that last word. Nosiness. Being nosy about the ways of God. We are curious when we are willing to discover something that may or may not align with our current understanding. We are curious when we are willing to go deeper in our faith to embrace truth.
In the best sense of the word, curiosity is the nemesis of laziness and the arch rival of the status quo. It’s also the neighbor who is always looking out the window wondering what you are up to. And maybe that is exactly it!
What if we spent today peering through the proverbial window observing what God is up to and then meandering out to see if we might be of some help by offering a tool or a hand?
todd nelson 