In 1687 Isaac Newton theorized the ocean’s tides were affected by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. This is now the standard teaching in earth science courses. Amazing that a moon and a star from so far away can have such daily effect on a part of the earth’s natural rhythm!
Often I hear people say that many things like climate change or evolution are just a “theory.” Strictly speaking from a science perspective, gravity is still in the theory stage. Yet no one has ever thrown something heavy upward that has not come back down. There is a lot of evidence to support this “theory.”
One of our alumni has a theory. Jake Roselius, who graduated two years ago is now a doctoral student in Hamburg Germany. On a recent trip from Hamburg to his home in Fairbanks, Alaska, Jake stopped off here to say hello. When I thanked him for coming to see us, Jake became a bit thoughtful for a moment and then said, “This place has a gravitational pull to it.” Jake had noticed during his four years here how often alumni, sometimes from many years ago, would show up for a Sunday worship service.
I am not sure Jake’s statement is a theory. If so, like gravity itself, I have seen it play out so often. I remember meeting a couple one Sunday who came here to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They were students here in the late 1950’s and were married in our sanctuary. They have been back two more times since that visit. Frequently I hear from alumni who came through here long before my time. I have also met many former church members from long ago who also feel a need to return for a visit.
Gravitational pull. Not a bad image for how memories of college and campus ministry can affect someone even many years later. I think it also a great image for faith. Sometimes we can’t articulate why we come to worship Sunday after Sunday. Sometimes we just can’t explain our connection to a faith community or faith itself. There just seems to be a certain pull. We are drawn to faith and drawn to a faith community.
So it is with God. Some have dramatic experiences. Some don’t think about it much, they just keep praying, worshiping, and serving. Many, on the other hand also keep praying, worshiping, and serving, but also spend some time wondering and even wandering, asking questions, and trying to analyze their faith. It’s all good.
The tides need both the moon and the sun to go in and out each day. We need God’s pull whether through experience, intellect, emotion, or some combination of these. God is not afraid pull us toward God’s self, and each other. Like tides, God can use more than one way to pull us. God knows we can’t do it on our own, so God keeps tugging. Like the tides, sometimes we go in and sometimes out. Sometimes for us it is also a daily thing. This, however, is not a theory. It is how God works.