Minister’s Message: Volcano watching
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 22, 2026
Recently, my kids made one of those classic science experiments: a clay volcano. They packed baking soda inside, poured vinegar over the top, and watched as it bubbled, foamed and spilled over the sides.
They laughed. They pointed. They were fascinated.
But here’s what stood out to me: they were only watching. They weren’t being changed by it. They were simply enjoying the reaction.
That little volcano made me think about the way many of us interact with truth. We listen to it. We talk about it. We analyze it. We may even be fascinated by it. But we often keep it at a safe distance.
In Acts 17, the apostle Paul enters Athens and finds a culture full of spiritual curiosity. The people are interested in ideas, religion, philosophy and debate. They invite Paul to speak in one of their respected public spaces. But Luke gives us a telling detail: the Athenians “spent their time doing nothing but telling or hearing something new.”
In other words, they were curious. They were willing to consume truth, but unwilling to commit to it.
That’s not just an ancient problem. It’s a modern one.
We live in a world with more information than ever before. We can listen to podcasts, read articles, watch lectures, scroll opinions and collect ideas all day long. But information does not automatically produce wisdom. Curiosity does not automatically lead to conviction. And learning does not automatically equal transformation.
Sometimes curiosity can even become a hiding place.
We keep asking questions, not because we are genuinely seeking truth, but because questions can buy us more time before we have to respond. We browse beliefs like menu items, interested enough to sample them, but not committed enough to order.
There’s a difference between an opinion and a perspective.
Opinions are made in an Instant Pot — fast, immediate, and pressurized. They’re often quick, emotional, and reactive. The Instant Pot gives us something we can post, repeat, or argue with right away. But perspective is slow-cooked in a Crock-Pot. It sits. It simmers. It absorbs knowledge, life experience, humility, and wisdom.
Our culture tends to reward Instant Pot opinions. The louder, sharper, and more sarcastic someone is, the more intelligent they may appear. But cynicism is not wisdom. Mockery is not discernment. And dismissing something is not the same as understanding it.
The better path is to slow down and ask better questions.
How did I arrive at this belief?
Did I inherit it?
Did I absorb it from culture?
Did I react my way into it?
Have I honestly examined it?
And most importantly: am I willing to follow truth if it challenges me?
That last question is the hardest one.
Because truth is not merely something to admire from a distance. If it is really true, it has a claim on us. It calls us to reconsider, grow, and change.
So maybe the question is not whether we are curious. Most of us are.
The deeper question is this: Are we treating truth like that little volcano — something fascinating to watch from a distance — or are we willing to let what is true actually change us?
In your corner,
Andrew
Andrew and Kristy Miller, along with their seven children, live in Sterling and serve at Sterling Baptist Church located at the corner of Swanson River Road and the Sterling Highway. Family worship is at 11 a.m. on Sundays
