"People just want to believe in magic"

      I was chatting with a friend this week about vaccines – about the amazing expression of science and ingenuity that went into their creation, about the immense privilege we have of free access to them, and about how excited we are for our upcoming appointments for the COVID jab. 
     …and we chatted about how there seem to be a large number of folks who don’t comprehend how vaccines work.
     Now, in fairness, it was clear in high school that I would not be a scientist. Despite this, I understand some of the basics: it takes time for antibodies to develop… and mild side effects are normal… and “vaccinated” does not mean “magically immune”…
     It’s the last one that caught our conversation. Because, it seems we *want* to believe in that magic fix. We want to wave a magic wand and have significant changes happen quickly (be it losing weight or achieving health or winning the lottery without buying a ticket or…).
     And, while all those things sound lovely, they aren’t realistic.  
…But we still want them. We still want to believe in magic. 
     And the religious institution can, if we’re not careful, make promises about such unrealistic magic. When, instead, we should be teaching and embracing mystery.
     Mystery is not about having the quick fix or the immediate answer; it’s about dwelling into the unknown. It’s trusting in God to be with us in the journey, even when we don’t understand it. It’s recognising that God’s providence in the world is much bigger than any magic moment. It’s enjoying the lovely moments and celebrating them as part of something much bigger. Mystery is seeing dimly in a mirror now, with confidence that one day we will see face to face. Mystery is part of the authentic relationship we have with the divine. Mystery is seeking to better understand the wonders both earthly and heavenly that are being shown to us every day, while recognizing that sacred mysteries are not puzzles to be figured out with reason.
     So while we can all wish for a little magic now and then, our faith challenges us to dwell in the mystery. And to know that we are with God – who’s got our souls covered.