{"id":5918,"date":"2012-12-13T08:13:32","date_gmt":"2012-12-13T13:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/?p=5918"},"modified":"2012-12-13T08:13:50","modified_gmt":"2012-12-13T13:13:50","slug":"night-thoughts-on-the-great-connections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2012\/12\/night-thoughts-on-the-great-connections.html","title":{"rendered":"Night Thoughts on the Great Connections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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\nOnce in a blue moon, I awake in the middle of the night with an idea for a talk or a sermon or an article, something. And it is compelling enough to drag myself out of bed and to go into the next room where the increasingly old desktop computer stands and to send myself an email with that fragment of a thought from the dream world.<\/p>\n

Last night this happened.<\/p>\n

The message worth this was:<\/p>\n

By observing we bring meaning to the universe.<\/p>\n

Now, I think this was generated by a conversation touching upon Existentialism, a philosophy that was very important to me in my youth. In that conversation I thew out the line that I thought the only problem for the Existentialists was how they cling to meaninglessness. The background to that was the observation that meaning and meaninglessness are the property of human beings, but not of the universe. The universe just is. Meaning and meaninglessness are constructs of our human consciousness \u2013 with a likely biological, evolutionary, purpose \u2013 if you will.<\/p>\n

What I find bubbled up for me last night somewhere on the other side of Nod was how meaning and meaninglessness are indeed important things \u2013 if, at the same time, the specific property of our human condition.<\/p>\n

And so when we bring our human consciousness to the matter, immediately meaning comes into the picture. A little thing, sometimes, maybe ususally. A big thing once in a while. <\/p>\n

And sometimes, rare though it may be, our whole lives revealed. Purpose. Direction. In the midst of sadness, joy.<\/p>\n

I find this in particular as I observe something and catch an intimation of connection.<\/p>\n

And within that connection, a hint.<\/p>\n

A hint of greater and deeper connections.<\/p>\n

Of the web of existence.<\/p>\n

Where each of us is the center.<\/p>\n

And everything is interrelated.<\/p>\n

It is our uniquely human take on the great is-ness.<\/p>\n

Just this.<\/p>\n

But just this with all the expression of our hearts.<\/p>\n

Those we love. Those who have harmed us. Those we\u2019ve harmed.<\/p>\n

All connected. <\/p>\n

All, in some very real, visceral sense, one.<\/p>\n

Open.<\/p>\n

Boundless.<\/p>\n

And out of that moment, expressions of gratitude, and care.<\/p>\n

And, from that, actions.<\/p>\n

Now, there\u2019s meaning for you\u2026<\/p>\n