July 31, 2020. Today, we heard crickets during the “mindful walk” portion of our hike (we quiet our voices and pay special attention to the things we see, hear, smell, and touch in the present moment). Lots of crickets. So many crickets!
Despite the number of bug books we’ve acquired throughout the years and the many times we’ve watched “It’s a Bug’s Life”—we know remarkably little about crickets. (Well…I know remarkably little, Elijah and Penelope undoubtedly know plenty).
While mindfully walking, we noticed not only how loud the crickets were, but also, the absence of them when cars passed by on the country highway bordering the trail. When the cars and trucks rolled by, their noise overpowered the sound of the crickets.
Upon recognizing this, we wondered together…If we can’t hear the crickets chirping when the cars pass, are the crickets still there? (Kind of our version of if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?).
After thorough discussion, we decided the crickets ARE still there in the moments we can’t hear them. While entomologists (I’d imagine) could support our hypothesis with knowledge about cricket behavior and psychologists could reiterate the theory of object permanence, we arrived at our conclusion by another way…Faith.
I want to be clear. I am a lover of science and believer of scientific facts. I don’t think science and faith are mutually exclusive. I love the pursuit of knowledge (if I didn’t, I wouldn’t keep going back to school). I love learning. I value education. I believe in science. I also understand that, as humans, we cannot fully grasp all things. There is so much wonder and mystery in this universe. And that’s where faith comes in.
My belief or disbelief has no bearing over God’s existence. But I believe because I can’t help but believe. When I experience the wonder of nature on these hikes with two kids who radiate a light and love beyond what my words can describe (or my mind can comprehend), I just have to believe in something more than what I can see and touch.
I don’t have all the answer. Nor do I want to. What I do have is a belief in a higher power who loves me, despite how I feel about myself or that higher power on any given day. I have an awareness (at least for today) that no matter how loud the noise of life is around me—God is still speaking. The cars may have made it harder to hear the crickets. But the crickets remained.
KNEP Hikes 