Mike McHargue's Blog

I'm an author now. I never saw it coming, but with the release of Finding God in the Waves, I'm an-honest-to-goodness author. Words are my livelihood: podcasts, talks, articles, and now, books. I'm so thrilled, and so humbled. It's hard to explain.

I worked so hard on this book–to make it useful, evocative contribution to the intersection of science and faith. So many people today want to believe in God, but struggle to because of the (fantastic) insights we're offered by science. I've walked that road, and I couldn't find a better way to share it than 288 pages in book form.

I didn't expect to be so nervous. Or so excited. Or so moved by every tweet, every Facebook post, or every email where someone shares how the words on those pages moved them to laughter, or tears.

Or growth.

Criticism will come, probably when I least expect it. But for now, I will rejoice in this simple thing.

"My name is Mike McHargue, and I am an author."

In an age of cosmological insights, God can seem like an outdated concept-a relic from a more superstitious age. In this video, Mike McHargue explains why the word God still matters in this age of science.

Hey friends,

I'm so excited to share this with you. I've been working on a series of videos exploring the questions and themes covered in my upcoming book, Finding God in the Waves. We're releasing the first one today, with more to come over the next 9 weeks.

This first video is about who I wrote this book for. As I worked on the manuscript, I actually printed out emails and tweets from a certain kind of person to help me stay focused on what message was needed in this book. But what kind of person was that? Watch the video to find out!

Peace, love, entropy,
Science Mike

Preorder the Book

Last night, I had a dream where I walked the streets of modern-day Palestine with Jesus–near the wall in Bethlehem. I've been a Christian most of my life, but I've never dreamed of Jesus before.

It was an extraordinarily vivid dream. I could see the details of his face and our surroundings, and our conversation seemed lucid and clear–not the kind of surreal exchanges common to our sleep.

As we walked, I asked Jesus a question: "Teacher, what do you believe about Black Lives Matter?"

Jesus told me the parable of the Farmer from Matthew 13.

"A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots. Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants. But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. If you have ears, pay attention!"

So I said, "I think I understand. Some people can't see the injustice faced by black people, others see, but can't process and accept the role their privilege plays in the oppression of black people, but a few see and understand and work to end it."

Jesus didn't say anything. So I said, "What can I say to hearts like the road or the shallow soil?"

Jesus said, "Tell them the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast a woman mixes into three batches of dough. Finally, this yeast will make all the dough rise."

I thought and then responded, "Teacher, what can I say to those who struggle for the cause of racial justice?"

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."

There were a lot of other things in that dream. When I woke up and started to write it all down, I realized that Jesus spoke to me in passages from the Gospels–parts of Matthew 13.

I don't claim to speak for Jesus, or that my dream was some kind of prophesy. But, I do think we can read the Bible with an eye toward justice, and that the people who are walking on our city streets, working to show America what it's like for people of color in our nation.

Some of us can't see it. Others can, but won't accept. A few see and join the work.

For those who can't see, or see but can't accept, remember that the first-century movement we call Christianity was a subversive movement of marginalized people who lived under the rule of an empire–that the kingdom of heaven was yeast in dough that hadn't risen.

And for the people walking city streets, remember the mustard seed. One day, people will rest in the branches of the seed you plant today.

May all the people of God join the work of creating peace in our land.

photo credit: Sunlight on Rising Dough via photopin (license)

Some books entertain you. Other books teach you something. Really good books do both. Then there are the rare books–the tomes that change your life. I just read one of those.

Click to see How to Be Here on Amazon.

I haven't always been Science Mike. In fact, Science Mike is a relatively new thing in my life.  In the first half of 2012, I hadn't written a book, hosted any podcasts, or done any speaking tours. In fact, I'd never done any of the things I do today to make a living.

I was a hard worker, sure. You could even say I was a workaholic. But, I was miserable. After a life of technical work, I found myself in the creative work of advertising, and it scared me to death. I felt a constant sense of dread, like I was going to let everyone down and then watch my family starve.

I imagined my coworkers in meetings. One would say, "Whatever happened to Mike?" And the other would look down at the desk with a look of melancholy before speaking softly, "He died of hunger, along with his poor wife and children. Some people just aren't meant for the ad business."

I'm kidding, but not by much.

And then I met Rob Bell. If you know me, you know that meeting represented a serious spiritual awakening. But what you may not know is I went back to those little conferences Rob put on several times. There was something in the air beyond the my questions about who God was. It resonated in my bones.

Rob described creative work unlike anyone I'd ever heard. Rob called out the overwhelming sense of shame so many people feel about their identity, or what they may have to offer the world as creative work. He told us how to face that shame and find the determination to start anyway.

And then he told us how he does his work. The process of scraping insights out of the world around us, assembling them, and speaking the truth of what we found to other people.

So, I tried it. I stared writing every day. I blogged. Despite incredible fear and feelings of being a phony, I collaborated with people with far more talent and experience than I had. I started podcasting, and every week I commit the simple, yet terrifying act of telling people what I'm learning about our world.

4 years worth of that writing recently turned into a book that I'm incredibly proud of.

I've often wished I could share what Rob told me with others. All of it. I wish other people could know that the little voice inside them that begs to come out, the part of them that says they should write, paint, sculpt, play, whatever, anything speaks truth. That they have a gift to share with the world.

Now I can. Because Rob assembled all the thoughts and insights I learned into a book called How to Be Here. I'm telling you the truth when I say the words in the book made me who I am today, that without them I would probably be a computer consultant in Tallahassee who blogs about atheism.

If you've ever dreamed that you could do something, but have been afraid to try, this book is for you.

If you play if safe instead of taking the big risk because of white-knuckled fear, this book is for you.

If you want to start living a life that you create with intention, instead of falling out of bed only to fall back into it, this book is for you.

I can't offer a higher recommendation. This work changed my life, and I believe it can change yours too.

What's the difference between sharing an uncomfortable, necessary truth and being an ass? I've noticed that in our era, it seems like the main difference between a prophet and a jerk is whether or not you agree with what they're saying. To put that on context, the same person can be a freedom fighter or gun-nut depending on who they're talking to.

Those who spoke difficult truths to the powerful in the Bible were called prophets. I've thought a lot about what makes a prophet a prophet instead of an angry troll. Prophets see and share insights that live at the intersection of truth and unrealized justice.

In other words, what a prophet proclaims must be factual and must point out the manner in which some person or people are oppressed or abused by society or its institutions.

I am not and have never been a prophet. But, there are times when I've felt the need to share truths about unrealized justice. Here's the thing: I'm sure a lot of people who say things I disagree with believe they're doing the same.

I don't want to add noise or even unnecessary conflict in life. I'm naturally averse to conflict, and have spoken up at the wrong time or in the wrong way in the past. So I developed a four question matrix to test any "prophetic truths" I may feel compelled to share.

Am I communicating honestly and without hostility? My message will be best received if I take the time to process my own feelings before speaking.Am I speaking for someone or against something? It's good to work for the rights of others, but I don't want to oppose something for the sake of opposing it.What will I get out of saying this? If I stand to gain emotionally, financially, or any other way by speaking an uncomfortable truth, I may need to examine my motives carefully.Is this driven by social identity? If the truth I'm sharing is commonly held among people who identify themselves with labels I use to identify myself, there's a real chance these beliefs are driven by social identity. I may need to check my sources and reasoning before speaking up.

This list is by no means exhaustive or universal–it's just the test I apply to ideas before I tap "share." If you'd like to hear more about speaking truth to power instead of being an ass, check out Tuesday's episode of The Liturgists Podcast where Michael Gungor, Rachel Held Evans, and I tackle the topic, "Prophet or Ass."

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men* are created equal…”

*originally denoted white, male, landowners.

The Land of the Free learned over time that “all men” was more than white, male, landowners. “all men” has grown more inclusive. But, we won’t be the land of the free until “all men” is “all people.”

Women.

People of Color.

Gays.

Lesbians.

Bisexuals.

Transgender.

The question: “But what can *I* do?”

The answer: join the struggle with tangible action.

Call your representatives and demand that gender identity and sexual orientation become protected classes. Or write a letter.

Don’t sit silent when racist or homophobic speech is shared in white or hetero spaces.

Support efforts to reform the criminal justice system and add accountability for police brutality.

You can start, today, ensuring that America behaves as if the Declaration of Independence means what is says: “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” for ALL.

photo credit: In Congress via photopin (license)

I believe we are living in a truly historic moment of human development.

Some sociologists try to capture it by talking about "millennials," but that's too generational. I've also talked about the model of Spiral Dynamics, but that can be western-centric. Both these models catch a glimpse of something big, but they don't tell the whole story. Somehow, modern science, multiculturalism, the Internet, and the blurring of traditional human divisions is altering how people relate to each other.

About a year ago, I joined with friends from the Windrider Institute and the John Templeton Foundation to work on a series of short films describing how human consciousness is changing in our era. I've shared different segments over the last few months–and now I'm thrilled to share the ENTIRE, COMPLETED series with you.

The New Copernicans thesis is based on the work of Dr. John Seel. Huge thanks to my friends John Priddy, Jacob Marshall, and Josh Wiese for their amazing contributions. I hope you find this work insightful and inspiring–-I certainly do.

The New Copernicans

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Subject: Atheism

Message: I consider myself an atheist- because in almost all contexts when God is described, the subject of that description is not something I consider well-enough evidenced to accept as real. Of course, in your case- that description of god is not at all what the vast majority of theists subscribe to (a good thing in my opinion.) However, I also am going to a Christian church with a strong focus on community and diversity, makes good judgments about which causes to support with our giving, provides a great springboard for community interaction, and usually isn't afraid of tough questions. I dig it. Anyway, while I admit I have barely scratched the surface of how you might describe yourself, your axioms of faith don't seem to describe anything that necessarily contradicts an atheist's view of religion. Is this non-atheism a part of your attempt to pretend as Rob Bell suggests? I guess- the main substance of this question is- what is the necessary difference between you and an atheist, and are there any tips you might have for an atheist attending a Christian church who often feels overwhelmingly isolated in thought, but for their own reasons chooses to stick around that environment? I really appreciate your taking time to give this a read.

Hey Austin,

I'm recovering from a motorcycle accident and I have a concussion. Forgive me if any of this doesn't make sense.

What I've learned from neuroscience and cognitive psychology is that labels are a big deal. The labels we apply to ourselves create a powerful bias. When we encounter evidence that undermines our chosen label research indicates we unconsciously filter it. This isn't some rational process where we evaluate information and make a decision–this is an automatic function we're not well aware of.

People love to label themselves. Doing so creates both social identity and cognitive certainty. Those are two things we crave because evolution trained us that we thrive when we live in a tribe and when we make good guesses about the future. For example, if a hunter gatherer guesses well about a rainstorm, they can avoid a flood and find more food.

Social labels create in-groups, but they also create out-groups. Certainty in our self labels mean we reject information about the world. I want the best, most truthful understanding of reality. So, I pretty much don't waste time assigning labels to myself.

Am I a Christian? An atheist? I'm not sure either of those labels describe me completely, and I think both describe me partially. Both manners of thinking and being inform my life, and both have something to teach me. I'm not looking for a place to land my ideologically airplane. Instead, I do my best to be open to new ideas and experiences, while honoring the traditions and cultures that have brought me where I am.

That means I need to honor what Billy Graham taught me, even as I honor what Richard Dawkins taught me.

I'm a skeptic, and I look for evidence to support my claims. But I'm also fascinated with Jesus, and the God he represents. I refuse to call heads or tails–I say let the coin spin all day.

Hope this helps.

Peace, love, entropy,
Science Mike

photo credit: the rose window : st. john the divine cathedral church, manhattan (2013) via photopin (license)

No words are needed.

I've been working on a series of short films with my friends at The Windrider Foundation. The subject is the New Copernicans–a thesis by Dr. John Seel about the changes facing our society that are generally attributed to "millennials." John's work is fascinating, and frankly explains a lot without dismissing an entire generation as "lazy."

Episode 10 explores the tension of faith and science via my podcasts. You really should check out the whole series though.

I hate to do an entirely self-promotional blog post, but I'm too excited about a couple of recent articles about my work not to. The Kernel did a profile on me as part of their issue about podcasting. It's the fastest telling of my story, and the first time I've been turned into a comic illustration.

Also, the New York Observer did a write up following my most recent appearance in Manhattan. I was really nervous about that event because New Yorkers have a lot of entertainment options available beyond coming out (in the rain!) to see a podcaster. So, you can imagine my surprise when I walked out on stage and saw full crowd–the event sold out.

What's all this got to do with you? It turns out there are a lot of us interested in open, honest conversations about science, faith, and life.