For the past six months or so, I have been working on a manuscript. I am nearing the completion of the eighth draft of the document, working my way through the comments made by a team of twelve readers who have helped me see some of the changes I want to make before the document is published. I don’t want to reveal too much about the project, but it originates in my daily journal entries. I’ve been thinking for several years about publishing a collection of essays by selecting some of the better entries in my journal and drawing them together into a collection. However, when I attempted to do so, I found the challenge of compiling a collection of these random essays into a coherent volume was beyond my ability. Instead, I took a few essays and began to add more. The result is a collection of essays, poems, and prayers, most of which have not been a part of my daily journals. As I work through successive drafts and improve the collection, I rewrite and add new elements. It has been a challenging and fun project.

The general theme of the manuscript is an examination of our relationship with Creation. I am not a scientist, analyst, or activist, though I appreciate their contributions to addressing the current climate crisis and helping us understand our need to act and make changes. I have written from a pastoral perspective, offering my observations, poems, and prayers to inspire hope.

As a part of this process, one of my friends who has read the manuscript commented that I keep returning to mystery. Unlike a mystery novel, however, I love the mystery unsolved and go on to another. Lots of mysteries, no solutions. The observation is accurate. I take it a bit farther: I appreciate and celebrate the mystery of the universe. I further argue that what I understand of scientists is that they are drawn to mystery and learn to accept and live with unanswered questions. Here are a few examples of mystery from what I have read of science.

The makeup of the universe is a mystery. While scientists have learned a great deal about the elements that make up the stars, planets, and galaxies, the visible aspects of the universe are only about five percent of what we know about the universe. The vast majority of the universe is dark matter and dark energy. The universe has invisible substances and forces that do not give off light but have mass enough to exert gravitational pull. This pull holds galaxies together. Without dark matter, our solar system, the Milky Way, would fly off in all directions. At the same time, dark energy speeds up the universe's expansion by counteracting the forces of gravity. Scientists can see the effects of dark energy, but don’t fully understand how it works. When scientists talk of dark matter or energy, “dark” means “We don’t know.” Many scientists devote their lives to exploring these substances and powers without coming to conclusions. Their encounter with the unknown drives further exploration, but not complete understanding. I see this as a love of mystery.

The scale of the known universe is so large. There are hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy and hundreds of billions of galaxies out there. There are planets going around many, if not most, of the stars. There are trillions of planets. It is within the range of possibility that life might exist on other planets. We do not know, however, what form life might take in different parts of the universe. We do not even know if life exists other than that on Earth. The search for life in other parts of the universe is ongoing, and we don’t know if we are alone or if there are other life forms out there. It remains a mystery.

The connections between chemistry and biology are deeply mysterious. For all of my life, scientists have conducted what is known as the Miller-Urey experiment. The experiment combines methane, hydrogen, and ammonia in water, sealing the container and exposing it to electric shocks. It is an attempt at creating life from chemicals. The experiment has produced amino acids, which are seen as the building blocks of life, but so far, none of the experiments have made a life form. If theorists are correct, it took billions of years for the elements on Earth to interact in ways that produced life. The origins of life remain a mystery.

We have awareness of self and others. We are curious about the world and formulate questions. We observe and conclude from our observations. We have developed language to communicate what we have observed. We call this consciousness. We are aware of being alive and can reflect on our being. Scientists understand that consciousness is related to millions of neurons firing in our brains, interacting with chemical reactions that allow us to form thoughts and translate thoughts into language. However, exactly how these electrochemical reactions take place remains a mystery. How is it that we have a sense of identity? How can we recall memories of our past? What makes us curious? How do emotions of fear, love, and anger work? When we reflect further, we wonder how much consciousness, as experienced by humans, extends to other animals. Other animals have brains. Other animals are capable of communication. Are they self-aware? Are they curious? Scientists don’t have a consistent definition of consciousness. It remains a mystery.

There are many, many more mysteries in science. What happened before the Big Bang? What went bang in the first place? Is there a unifying theory that brings together all human knowledge and understanding? Is it possible to travel backwards in time? Will the universe end, or does it go on forever?

Science is filled with mystery. Seeking solutions attracts generations of scientists who advance our understanding. However, each new bit of understanding reveals more mystery. The words I can write don’t involve solving mysteries. They do, however, express my appreciation for mystery. It continues to be an engaging adventure.