Disclosure Day

I haven’t seen the new Spielberg movie yet, but I want to because I am interested in its themes. What happens when a new truth has been disclosed to us? What happens the morning after we have the evidence that intelligent life exists outside of Earth’s orbit?

In Star Trek, contact with an alien culture becomes a unifying event for humanity when it’s confirmed that we are no longer alone in the universe and we achieve world peace. Most of us would appreciate this outcome!

In recent history, world-altering events have inspired a wide range of public responses, not all positive. If a spaceship landed publicly before thousands of cameras and an alien emerged, how would the world react? Responses could range from curiosity and hope to fear, anger, disbelief, or hostility.

Faith leaders would have a lot to talk about, or they might say nothing at all and just continue with their series on the book of Ephesians.

Unsettling truths are hard for all of us to handle.

Discoveries push back the boundaries of our understanding. We fill the newly created space with outlooks that align with our values. If I’m overly suspicious, I’ll likely respond with suspicion. If my baseline response to the unknown is faith, hope, and love, I’ll see discovery as an opportunity for growth. We all need to respond to disruption, because it impacts how we live.

It’s worth asking yourself: how would your neighborhood, church, school, work, or family respond to the next big disruption? Even better, ask how you would respond when the news reports an unavoidable new truth. This exercise is worthwhile because there are still answers and questions in the universe yet to be discovered. Telescopes let us see nearly 33.8 billion light-years from our planet. The enormity of discovery and knowledge in that span is truly unfathomable.

When I consider the vastness of the universe, all of my knowledge, experience, skills, and faith are inadequate to comprehend all we could discover in a light-year.

Let’s come back to Earth for a moment.

Things will happen to us in years to come beyond our control, and we will have to ask questions no generation has had to answer. I don’t want to say we need to find ways to cope, because that’s not adequate. Our lives and our faith have to do better than cope; they must journey.

The way we shape our character and lives matters even more than holding on to certainties. I hope to live a life of faith that looks to the stars and embraces growth. By exploring and seeking new opportunities to learn, we actively practice our faith. This ongoing growth prepares us to respond to whatever comes next. Keep reading, keep learning, and keep moving forward. The world needs people who are ready to face the future with open minds and steady hearts.

Thanks for reading, friend