I am going to take this time between the holidays to talk about some of the things that we perhaps don't focus on enough during this period of hope and redemption. Perhaps it's a little preachy but then it's my blog and I want to look at what makes us special, not what makes us all the same.

Although we often don't seem to use it, man has the unique ability to comprehend the world around him. But comprehending that something is there and has an impact on our lives doesn't necessarily mean that we understand it. The mysteries of the universe and fireflies, hummingbirds and belly buttons are not things most of us take the time to focus on. In fact, I would bet that modern man spends a lot less time trying to understand the universe than did his ancestors, and not because we already have it all figured out.

We seem to pause only slightly, look up but briefly from our TV's and iphones, to think about our particular journeys. Our passages through life seem, to many, to be less important than the moment. We have this enormous gift of being able to analyze and learn from our choices and yet we seldom use it. There are questions everywhere, the pursuit of which can make life worth living. The answers may be somewhere beyond our reach but seeking them out can surely help sustain the journey.

Sometimes people seem to stop pursuing answers because they think they have them all. They become jaded by their "omniscience" and miss out on the wonderful emotions that come from actually taking chances and opening their minds to new things. There is a certain inner peace that comes to those who accept that they don't have all the answers, and that "wonder" and "awe" are emotions that can fill the soul. For many of us, this is what makes Christmas such a wonderful season. It is the chance to step back and look at the world with a fresh perspective, and to see hope and love and mystery in a world filled with daily problems that seem overwhelming.

Oh wait, I forgot, it's really about getting to the mall on Thanksgiving evening so we can get really cheap stuff. I guess that's another mystery to contemplate.

Regards,

Glenn K. Currie