"This planet and every living thing on it and every atom in it … and every force acting upon it are all inseparably connected and this is the greatest lesson in all of biology. You are a part of the tree of life. You are related to every living thing around you. You are one link in a chain that extends for billions of years all leading up to you… and you are also part of the web of life. You rely on the existence of countless other organisms to survive and countless other organisms rely on you just the same. This entire biosphere is just as much a part of you as you are a part of it. All the laws of physics and chemistry that form this planet and that continue to shape it today are also acting on every atom in your body at this very moment, just as they have for your ancestors and your relatives for billions of years. You are a character in an epic and ongoing story and whether you like it or not you are a shaper in that story and now you have the opportunity to see that story in a brand new light ... in the light of
evolution." Forrest Valkai
This could be the answer to mother's ever present question. "How do you do it without Jesus?"
I was looking on Youtube this week for material on Forrest Valkai. I found an interview on an unknown-to-me channel that was a great introduction to who Forrest is.
I was introduced to Forrest Valkai on a couple channels that he participates in... The Atheist Experience and The Line. Both are call-in shows where people (mostly theists) call in to talk to atheists about almost anything. Sometimes the conversations can get heated, but sometimes they can be very educational. Forrest has offered a great deal in the educational department. I admire his understanding of biology and evolution.
During the interview, he mentioned a video series he did called The Light of Evolution. I listened to those four videos yesterday and was amazed at how much I could understand. There was a lot of biological data that was somewhat intense, but the flow was amazing and I didn't feel lost in all the details.
I don't remember much about my high school biology class, but I don't think we covered evolution in my Lutheran boarding school. I only remember evolution as a subject in Grade 7. I wish I could remember more. Maybe the directive at my high school was to talk about natural processes in light of creation and God. So we could still observe onion cells in microscopes and dissect frogs, but it all pointed back to creation... not evolution.
I still don't understand the whole of everything. Evolution makes more sense, the more I get to learn about it. Discarding the whole idea that the bible stories were mostly factual helped to provide room for a different narrative that made more sense. Maybe I still can't prove it in my own space with my own brain... but I am okay to ride the wave with people like Forrest Valkai who can provide more momentum in the flow of understanding.
Back to my mother's question. This is how I do it without Jesus. I feel like I am a part of something so much bigger than I ever did when I was a Christian. I am connected to nature. I am related to the critters around me. How awesome is that! I feel a lot less alone now. Guilt and shame are not a part of this narrative, only belonging. I don't have a temperamental father deciding my fate based on what I can or can't believe about him. I belong because I am. I matter because I exist in this time and space. I am a part of the web of life.
