The Quest for Knowledge – and Contentment
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”
—
Stephen Schwartz based his Broadway musical Children of Eden, on the Bible. He creatively reenacts the third chapter of Genesis and that biblical account of the first man and woman. His interpretation offers an insightful perspective often overlooked and possibly misperceived.
In the Garden, Eve discovers the potential of knowledge with a sudden enticing curiosity that both thrills and terrifies. Her cleverness, as portrayed by Schwartz, echo’s the tension in our everyday lives. The musical takes some liberties with the biblical text, but these are gnarly details the biblical writers understood: what is knowledge? And why attain it if it is not to be valued and sought?
Eve laments and rejoices in the song “Spark of Creation” as she considers her newest vocabulary word: “Beyond”:
Be-yond, Be-yond ... it sounds full of wind and mist, doesn’t it?
Father, why does my head feel this joy and dread
since the moment I said, “beyond.”
We, too, live in this tension, fascinated with the new, intrigued by what lies just out of our reach. We are also interested in, yet frightened by the unknown, that misty realm just beyond our understanding. We remain confined to the here and now while hopeful for something new and different—the next big thing.
And yet, God reminds Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you ... ” What we have is all we need. Contentment continues to be a rare but indispensable asset. We crave, anticipate, agonize, overlook, envy, desire, expect, deflect … Our fast-paced, driven society distracts with titillations just out of reach.
For today: God’s grace is enough. Contentment. Sufficiency. Grace.
This week, may you discover peace with what is, an acceptance of who you are, and a thankful heart for what you have.
I also hope that you will join in worship this Sunday, in person or online. We will be exploring part two of Jesus’ story of two lost sons. His is a lesson for each of us and for every age.
Love,
David
“Take hold of the life that really is life.”
PRAYER FOR THE WEEK:
Lord, give me patience, wisdom, and courage so that I do not need to be afraid of strange ideas or things that I do not understand. Fortify in me a calm discernment. And remind me again that, despite the many human differences among the family of nations, we all remain far more alike than different. You are and ever shall be the common denominator of all of life, now and forevermore. Amen.
David Jordan
Senior Pastor