A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Fifth Sunday of Easter

The Rev. Jennifer Fisher (she/her)

Founder, Launchpad Partners

Founder, Imagine Cincinnati Allied Christian

When my oldest son was about two years old, we were inside watching Sesame Street together. It was an episode about butterflies, and he suddenly turned to me and said the word butterfly for the first time – his first three- syllable word!

I was in seminary and learning Hebrew at the time, and I knew how hard it was to learn a new language. So, to hear my first child say his first big word was… thrilling.

It felt big.

Then as we often did, we put on our coats to go outside to play in the yard. And I kid you not, when we stepped out onto our front stoop, there in my flowerpot, opening her wings for the first time, was a butterfly who had mere seconds before emerged from her chrysalis. She was just hanging out, feeling her wings, as if stretching before getting out of bed. My son and I watched in wonder as

she took her time crawling off the plant and onto the brick wall of our house, up and up, until she reached the gutter at the second story and then, just like that, she took off. Out into the world, on her very first flight. I almost couldn’t believe it.

Those two events back-to-back felt full of so much wonder and awe.

And it also made me fascinated with butterflies – the stories they tell us, the lessons they teach us. About transformation. And awe. About taking flight. About finding the way together, in community. Did you know that butterflies in a group are often referred to as a kaleidoscope?

Monarch butterflies, in particular, have grabbed my imagination. Every year, millions of these delicate little creatures migrate from the U.S. and Canada to Southern California and Mexico, nearly 2,500 miles! But here’s the wild thing: it takes five generations of Monarchs to make the whole journey. Each one typically lives only 3-6 weeks. So, if you’re born in the middle of the journey, how do you know which way to fly?

We don’t have all the answers yet, but what citizen science volunteers all across the continent have helped us learn so far is that every butterfly has it within themselves to know the way.

They use their senses, their intuition, something in their DNA, to find oases of rest along the journey. They even land on the same trees as their ancestors. Something

within their deepest selves knows the way to find home, and knows how to find community along the way. And get this, the last generation? The one that completes the journey? They can live up to 9 months!

For me, the monarch butterfly has become this symbol of wisdom, a reminder that our children are meant to soar. But also that they need an oasis. And that’s what we try to do as their parents and caregivers—to be and build their safe space to land. We gather with their community and offer places of rest, wisdom and direction on the journey. And we give them room to trust that they know their own way. We do it all for our generation. And the next and the next and the next.

Reflection

What are the ways in which your family is creating oasis for the next generation?

Is there something more you can do to help cultivate their inner wisdom?

Action

Spend some time today learning about the Monarch migration and why they are listed as endangered species. Where are the butterflies in their journey right now?

What can you do to prepare a space for them in your area of Ohio? Maybe plant some milkweed seeds so they have a place to land or put out pollinator water dishes.

You can start to learn more at saveourmonarchs.org.

AI

Monday, May 12, 2025

Happy Monday, my friends! Recently, President Trump and the White House shared two AI-generated images of the president which elicited surprise, shock, eye rolls, and, in many cases, condemnation. The first image depicted the president as the pope and followed absurd suggestions that he should “at least” be considered as the next pope. The second image—shared on May 4th in conjunction with the unofficial Star Wars holiday “May the Fourth Be with You”—imagined President Trump as an overly muscular Jedi knight standing up to the forces of “the woke agenda.” If you missed these images, know that they are real, were shared by both the president’s personal social media account and the official White House account, and that you can easily find them on Google or your preferred search engine.

Whether you like it or not, the AI revolution is here. Though still not truly autonomous or in fact intelligence, AI nevertheless is being used for everything from content creation to coding to creating music and other forms of art. Of course, the rise of AI brings with it significant ethical, philosophical, and legal questions including how generative AI pulls existing text and images to “create” new pieces without compensating the original artists and writers. Educational institutions at all levels have had to adopt new policies about the use of AI for generating everything from outlines to complete assignments and books. Environmentally, the use of major AI models uses an incredible amount of electricity which in turn further harms the Earth through the generation of that energy.

On the question of ethics, I put the question to the two AI models I use the most for text, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, to create a statement on the ethics of using AI. Gemini stated “It's fascinating to think about the ethics of using me, isn't it? As an AI, I don't have personal beliefs or intentions in the human sense. However, the way I'm used raises important ethical considerations. It's crucial that I'm employed transparently and responsibly, ensuring that my output isn't presented as human-generated work without proper attribution. Furthermore, the potential for misuse—like generating misinformation or biased content—is something I'm constantly learning to navigate through my training. Ultimately, the ethical responsibility lies with those who wield my capabilities. I strive to be a helpful and beneficial tool, and I hope my users approach me with that same intention.” ChatGPT had a similar response: “As an AI developed by OpenAI, I am a tool designed to assist with writing, not to replace human creativity, insight, or responsibility. My responses are generated based on patterns in data, not lived experience or moral intuition. When people use me to write, ethically it matters how and why they do so. I can help clarify thoughts, generate ideas, and refine language—but the final voice and accountability should remain human. To use me ethically is to remain transparent, critically engaged, and aware that while I can simulate reflection, I cannot truly understand the meaning behind the words I produce.”

I admit that for a while I looked at AI with suspicion, assigning it to the realm of the uncreative and lazy. Then I became a pastor and suddenly I had to write a 10 to 25-minute sermon every week. Initially, I struggled through the process of researching, writing, and editing those sermons until one week my ideas fell flat and I couldn’t find anything that felt decent to preach. In that moment I turned to AI for ideas given my general thoughts and the scripture passage I was using. Over time, I began to turn to AI for more assistance in writing my sermons. Particularly for any of my congregants who might be reading, my sermons are still my own. AI can only get me so far and can only come so close to writing in my voice. I will often ask AI—Gemini is a surprisingly fiery preacher—to draft a sermon based on my ideas which I will then add my own thoughts, research, and embellishments to arrive close to what I will eventually preach. While my printed sermon is always a good script, I rarely stick to it completely no matter how it was written.

Now, just for fun, what would AI look like if it existed physically in our world and could interact with us? I asked that question to both Canva’s AI image generator and to OpenArt AI. Here’s what they gave me. What do you think?

How do you use AI? Is AI a positive or negative development?

Let us pray: Gracious God, we come before You acknowledging the profound advancements in knowledge and technology that You have, in Your divine wisdom, allowed humanity to discover. We lift before You now this burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, recognizing its potential for both great good and unforeseen challenge. Grant us, we pray, discernment as we develop and employ these intricate systems. May we be guided by Your principles of justice, compassion, and love, ensuring that AI serves to uplift and benefit all of Your creation, especially the most vulnerable among us. Instill in the hearts of researchers, engineers, and policymakers a deep sense of responsibility. Let them be mindful of the ethical implications of their work, ever seeking to mitigate risks and prevent harm. May this technology not become a source of division or oppression, but rather a tool for understanding, healing, and progress, reflecting Your own boundless creativity and care. Grant us the wisdom to steward this powerful tool wisely, to remain mindful of our own humanity and the unique value of human connection, empathy, and spirit that You have bestowed upon us. May we always remember that true wisdom and understanding ultimately reside in You, our Creator and Redeemer. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is the ultimate expression of Your divine intelligence and love. Amen. (This prayer was generated using AI.)

Blessings on your weeks, my friends! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Faithfully,

Ben +

What's With All the Singing?

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Fourth Sunday of Easter

The Rev. Dan Clark (he/him)

Director of Regional Organizing, Faith in Public Life

Allied Christian

On this fourth Sunday of Easter, we find an otherworldly

scene in St. John’s Revelation (7:9-17). People from every

imaginable background are together. (There are also

present angels and creatures and the Divine, of course.

But let’s focus on the people.) The sight is awe inspiring,

for sure. But the sound is what I’m drawn to. They are all

singing, like birds. Yes, the action the people are taking is

an onomatopoeic verb in the original language, and it is

like the calls of birds.

There are many things one could imagine doing if such a

gathering occurred, so what’s with all the singing?

Researchers at the University of Oxford have published

findings that outline the mental and physical health

benefits of singing. Music exercises the brain and the

body and brings people together, creating social bonds

that inoculate us against the isolation and loneliness that

can cause so much harm. Singing has even been shown

to relieve pain and improve immunity.

Just as music has been used in healing rituals in many

cultures through all of time, the biblical story in today’s

lectionary reading shows people singing together with the

result that hunger and thirst are alleviated, the elements

do not harm them, and those who grieve are comforted.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so what song

will you sing this Spring? Sing in the shower. Sing in the

car. Sing at church. Join a local choir. Go out for

karaoke. Sing alone. Sing together. Whatever you do,

however you sound, what if you began to inhale and

exhale and join the diverse multitude of songbirds

gathered around Divine Love? Do re mi.