First Post

If you had asked me on Easter weekend, 1986, why I was joining the Roman Catholic Church, I would likely have told you, "It's a mystery."

Of course, like many things I say, it had a slightly whimsical double-meaning, but still was intended to be completely true. I loved the depth and mystery of what the RC Church professes, found it to be fully consistent with what I had learned and come to believe in my faith journey so far, and appreciated the fact that not every question about belief and practice had to have a simple, easy answer - unless you're satisfied with, "It's a mystery." Some of the simplest questions have answers so profound that, even if we know the words, we may continue to discover their meaning throughout our lifetimes and still not be satisfied.

But another part of that mystery was the experience: I was at the edge of a new stage in my journey, and while I had a strong sense that I was going in the right direction and many great things lay ahead, I could barely have guessed them - they, too, were a mystery.

Fast forward 25 years, and some of those mysteries have begun to manifest themselves in concrete experiences, some in greater depth and breadth of insight, and some have become familiar in their unresolvability.

One of my favourite quotations is from Neils Bohr, who reputedly said, "You never understand quantum physics, you just get used to it." If you take what Christianity says seriously, then the same God who created the universe - and therefore its rules including quantum physics - is the Truth inherent in the essential facts of Christianity, so one should expect no less profundity (or concrete practical relevance) in one's journey of faith than in the deepest insights science has to offer. Now that's a real mystery - and, like science, not one whose limits we should ever expect to fully grasp.

So, the daily mysteries of life, sometimes meriting further investigation, sometimes compelling a cheerful, "I don't know," as I get used to them, interact with my journey as a human, a Christian, and for over 25 years, a Catholic.

Of course, not everything has to be a mystery. Sometimes, experience, attention, and dilligent effort can change that to mastery. Regardless, by sharing these experiences without needing to fully characterize them in black-and-white terms, it is possible to build bridges of understanding between people of goodwill who just need some insight into each other to realize that they've been journeying together all along.

So begins my blog. We'll see where it goes. If I produce enough entries of sufficient interest to others, it is my intention to "harvest" them and publish them as one or more e-books. I look forward to your feedback as I choose my way forward.

One last note: the perspective of this blog should be clear, but it is not intended to exclude any audience. I hope it will be a good opportunity for non-Christians to better understand Christians, and for Catholics to understand Protestants, even if the audience I'm most often likely to have in mind are my Protestant brothers and sisters, and the perspective is that of a practicing Catholic who still has a significant measure of Protestant culture and sensibilities in my personality.

(Copyright (c) 2011, Reg Harbeck, all rights reserved)