Dear Folks,
Curiosity, did it kill the cat?  Curiosity can be a great thing, or open a door of destruction.
For the Good, Curiosity moves us to “subdue the Earth” and to unlock many of nature’s secrets.  It leads to development, ingenuity, discovery, and growth.  This seems to be a constant theme of much entertainment, ‘You can do anything, strive for the stars, be whatever you want…..’
And yet we have this line from the Psalm 131: “O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.”  Now there is a line that I think many of us ignore or reject.
When curiosity leads us to seek knowledge to which we have no right, then it can become a powerful force of destruction.
What sort of knowledge?  The lives of others.  And we pry into their lives, gossip, defame, detract, and criticize.  Or in our information age, we presume we know all the facts, only to later discover that some of those facts were in error.  Certainly you have noticed that retractions to erroneous headlines never gain the prominence of the original misinformation.  Rash judgement – the assumption of another’s moral fault without sufficient proof – is often the sin that grows from our disordered curiosity.
Sinful curiosity is also often at the root of lust and immodesty.  Unsatisfied with the gifts that God has given us, we become curious about others, and desire pleasures beyond what is truly good.  Maybe is starts with watching a movie, but leads to other darker corners of the internet. Or it starts with a curiosity, “I wonder if he/she would treat me better….”
What do I offer as a combat?  Prayer.  Real time spent in prayer.  Because only in finding recollection and intimacy with God, will you be able to hear the whisper of his voice to be able to pray and understand Psalm 131 above.  And also, exercise some discipline in ordering curiosity.  Find something in your life that adds no real value, and offer it to God by setting it aside!
pax,
fr mosimann