Pastoral Ponderings—Podcast Wisdom
My youngest, Kaz, had been helping me get a little more up to date and exploring podcasts—which, for the uninitiated, are series of discussions from people on-line that can cover any area of interest, anywhere from just a few minutes long, to “long form,” that can be an hour or more. My favorite thus far is Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.
She became well-known as a comedy actress, first as a kid with “Blossom,” and more recently on “The Big Bang Theory,” but despite that, her schooling is as a neuroscientist. And not only that, but one just as committed to scientific skepticism as she is to her vital Jewish faith. While her podcast covers a wide range of interests from that neurological perspective, often focused on human wellness and thriving, she also has frequen explorations into the convergence of science and spirituality. Needless to say, that’s right down my just slightly nerdy alley! The other I’ve been trying to listen to more is skeptic.pastor Jeremy Steele, who, as you may have recently heard more locally, thinks God is big enough to handle and not be threatened all our doubts and questions
I usually get the joy of listening on long drives, especially late at nite when the rest of the crew is sleeping, so not complaining about my eccentric interests. On this most recent late night drive, I was listening to both these podcasts with an amazing convergence—though coming from very different perspectives, in effect, describing the Spirit of God in That Which Is Bigger, and all-encompassing, and finding the heart of our spiritual life in how we can connect, and grow in our connection with this Bigger Spirit.
Even from a hard science neurological, skeptical perspective, that brings up and can’t deny the hard science in support of the importance and power of spirituality in our daily and social lives.
AND both from their differing perspectives, pointing out that all of us in human skin–despite our many and deep differences—can find a shared commonality and respect in our mutual connectedness with this Bigger Spirit– what can variably be referred to as our “Higher Power,” “the Divine,” or what many us call “God.” One of them even referred to that passage in Acts 17 where St. Paul is quoting—thus bringing into our Christian scriptural understanding of Truth- ancient Greek pagan understandings that “in Him, we all live, move and have our being,” and “for we all also are His offspring.”
SO WHAT? You might ask… It’s tools like these that can help us both deepen our own faith, while at the same time, giving us tools to better connect with those who might otherwise thing that church folk need to check their brains at the door. Nothing could be further from the truth! (and it can also help keep us awake and alert on late night drives!)
Check them out—feed your brains and your spirits—and build bridges of hope with those who might otherwise be stuck in hopelessness! – Pastor Jim
https://www.bialikbreakdown.com/ ; https://jeremy-steele.com/