Trusting Your Gut
There's a good argument that the biggest decisions we make don't come as a result of logically weighing out the facts, but by a gut feeling, an intuition, a deep sense of which path to take.
Modern Neuroscience suggests that "gut feelings" aren't just impulsive whims—they are often the result of sophisticated, high-speed data processing by the brain.
While we like to think of ourselves as logical beings who weigh pros and cons in a spreadsheet, the reality is that our brains evolved to make complex decisions long before we developed formal logic.
In Bible terms this has been called the Holy Spirit, or that part of us that allows us to know things that we have a hard time explaining.
This is what's at play in this Sunday's gospel when Jesus comes on the scene in the first chapter of John's account.
What's interesting is that Jesus gets identified by John the Baptist, Andrew, and Peter, well before he does anything, heals anybody, feeds anybody, or even preaches: Jesus is identified not for anything that he's done, but for who he is - there is something about him that resonates deep inside of the hearts of people who are looking for him.
And what is the human heart looking for more than anything else, but love?
And Jesus, who is the incarnate, human form of love, comes on to the scene to fulfill a universe of people whose hearts are yearning for love.
It's the biggest, continuous yearning of infants, children, and adults, that we have. Love.
And it is found here, not in possessions, or experiences, or in accomplishments, power, or popularity; ; it is found in God, in love who is ever present, ever patient, just waiting to be found.
So the upshot for you and me is to be on the lookout for love, listening to that inner voice of ours, with appreciation and gratitude for all that we have, and a keen eye to identify love when we see it, and commend all who are responsible for bringing it.
Lean into that beautiful spirit of yours, that spirit self: What is love asking you to do today? Your spirit can be trusted to identify and walk with love.
