Our DNA: The Fingerprint Of God

By Peter Lundell

People talk casually about their DNA and how it determines who they are. So I wondered, Is that something through which I can connect with God?

Under super magnification the DNA molecule looks like a spiraling ladder, commonly called a “double helix.” DNA is made up of four chemical bases linked like ladder rungs along the spiraling helix.

DNA contains the genetic instructions—twisted, compacted, and packaged into X-shaped chromosomes—that direct every nucleus of living cells. They might be human, animal, plant, even virus (though viruses act differently—they’re always bad boys). Humans have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes (including those pesky Y chromosomes responsible for all the men in the world).

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Lessons From The Raft

By Peter Lundell

Recently I went whitewater rafting with my friend Ronnie. Our group of seven shoved into the river for what became a living parable of life.

Though we wore helmets and lifejackets, nothing kept us in the raft but our feet jammed into the toeholds. In life, we can get all the insurance and security we want, but whether we avoid danger or disaster is partly out of our control in the churning world through which we travel.

At one point the raft went vertical on its side and all but one of us fell out. In life, from beginners to experts, we all get thrown for tizzies. And when we do, it’s critical that we look out for each other and help each other get back in the boat.

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Surrounded By The Garden Of God

By Peter Lundell

I whispered, “Speak to me, God.” And a whippoorwill sang. But I was hurrying between appointments. I shouted, “God, speak to me!” And thunder clapped from the sky. But I dashed inside to escape the rain. When the storm cleared I prayed, “God, I want to see you.” And the stars shone from behind the passing clouds. But my cell phone rang, and I didn’t want to miss the call. As the days passed, I asked, “God, show me a miracle.” And a child was born. But I only took photos and said a quick prayer. Finally, I raised my hands and pleaded, “Touch me, God.” And the wind caressed my face. But I turned away and put on a jacket, disappointed that God did not respond.

When we insulate ourselves from nature, we insulate ourselves from God as well, because God connects with us through the natural world. Earth is another word for God’s garden.

Our souls can become anesthetized. This happens when we drift into the artificial respiration of needing to be constantly busy or when we focus on something electronic.

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Spiritual Creatures on a Physical Journey

By Peter Lundell

Most people don’t think much past what they can see—especially if it’s bills to pay or the car ahead of them. But if asked, they might agree that they’re physical creatures who may or may not be on a spiritual journey.
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Stepping Out On Glass

By Peter Lundell 

On a recent trip to Minnesota, my friend took me to visit the world-famous Guthrie Theatre. Along the Mississippi River side of the building is a four-by-six foot cutout in a floor four stories above ground. The cutout is fitted with an inch-thick, heavy-duty glass. (Unlike that in the Sears Tower in Chicago, this one’s free).

I walked to the edge, stopped, and shivered. My brain was programmed to know that I should never stand so close to a precipice. But it wasn’t a precipice; it was a glass floor. Still looking down, I stepped to the middle. My body jittered from foot to head. My brain insisted I was standing in midair or that at least the glass would give way, and I would plummet to my death. I knew it was okay—it had obviously been tested and built according to a code. But it didn’t feel okay. And that was the architect’s whole point.

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