“We travel w/ preconceived notions of the world, derived from our cultural tradition. In a very curious sense we travel knowing in advance what we are on the verge of discovering, because past reading has told us what we are supposed to discover.” Umberto Eco, “From Marco Polo to Leibnitz,” Serendipities
Frail Heart
As an example, Eco describes how Marco Polo went searching for unicorns and actually discovered some! (Well, of course you know he did NOT discover unicorns, for science has long since proven that unicorns are ‘merely’ fantastical creatures, found only in little (and older) girls’ dreamy minds.) What he had found were creatures that fit the current culture’s description of unicorns – they had four legs and they had horns. However, they were grey, not white, low to the ground and very heavy (suggesting that it might be hard to fly), and their skin most resembled an elephant’s. Yes, Marco Polo had discovered – the rhinoceros!
In this remarkable essay, called “Serendipities,” Umberto Eco challenges us to read and travel beyond our preconceived notions of the world, opening our minds to the possibility of discovering something mysterious and unknown. I think Umberto Eco might not mind that his premise reminds me of two essential realities:
"His blood shed for thee"
1 – I read with a background book that is so deep in my heart and written so broadly in this cosmos, there is no way I can divest myself of it. This “book” is the text of the gospel, written in all of creation and signed with profound significance by the Author and Creator God.
2 – I absolutely look into the “it just so happened” moments of my life and the “found hearts” that appear in shells or rug patterns or clouds – as signifiers of something much deeper, much richer, an author who does have an intended meaning, and whose main meaning is that he has created this cosmos with rich significance and great joy.
"Sea a penny, pick it up..."
In this blog, I’ve strewn a few serendipities I noticed as I walked along a beach last week praying and seeking to see God’s good plan in a difficult story. What about you – what serendipities have you seen? (I’d love to see pictures and hear the stories. Email me at “e-t-story-at-earthlink-dot-net if you’d like to share).
