Phototropism is the tendency and the growth of a plant in the direction of its light source. Plants naturally seek out their life-source. Bacteria and microorganisms have the tendency to move towards food and light, their life-source. And so it is with all of nature, all living things seek out their own specific life-sources. Men also seek out their life-source not only for their body, but also for their soul.
Man’s seeking, however, is different from the rest of nature. We are endowed with freedom. We can in fact choose not to seek out our life source. I am thinking of those who would take or end their own life. Or, we can seek our life-source in the wrong things. We know some foods are detrimental to our health like sugary drinks or fatty foods. But we eat them any way. We know greed and selfishness are bad for the spirit but we do them anyway. But we seek for life, each in our own way. We want to sustain our life and make it even better.
And the deeper truth is that in our seeking, God has sought us first. He has called me first by name. There are countless others out there. But He has sought me to seek Him. Each of those countless others have also received His unique call, each one by name. In my DNA is a record all that has transpired in the cosmos. I bear the dust of the primordial big bang and my DNA is a cosmic record of the evolution of life, a process where creation tends and seeks out its creator. And ingrained in me by my Creator is the impulse to seek and return to Him.
As I pray, I reach out and seek what or who has brought me to life just as a plant reaches out and seeks the light. As I pray, I reach out and seek the life-source that sustains and enhances my life just as microorganisms move and seek out their food source. And in fact, He whom I am seeking has made the first move and called me out by name. From eternity.
Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
~Psalm 105
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus addressed this parable to them.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.”
Luke 15:1-7