(2) Considerations

As for Freeman Dyson, he is a declared non-denominational
Christian--but I believe he qualifies his Chistrianity when he
said that (for him) it is a "community that preserves an ancient
heritage of great literature and great music, provides help and
counsel to young and old when they are in trouble, educates
children in moral responsibility, and worships God in its own
fashion.

However, as Dyson puts: "as a scientist, I live in a universe of
overwhelming size and mystery. The mysteries of life and
language, evil, chance and necessity, and of our own existence
as conscious beings, in an impersonal cosmos are even greater
than the mysteries of physics and astronomy. Behind the
mysteries that we can name, there are deeper mysteries that
we have not even begun to explore."

Well Dyson said it: the universe remains very much a mystery for
us. And he said what I was trying to understand that there are
mysteries that stand behind the obvious mysteries we have only
begun to encounter about the universe--and our place in it.

I've heard it said that when a priest cannot explain a complicated
theological subject, he oft says it's a "mystery." Well it seems that
scientists get into this habit, too! Still Dyson has a sense of a
Deeper Mystery, though vague. He's not willing to speculate
much beyond this.

Thus far fairly discouraged, I felt more and more bereft. My
pilgrimage was approaching "empty." Still, something within
me kept prodding to keep on going.