What Comes Next? The Drama of Desire in A World of Meaning

by Traci Hubbard 

You know, I used to be addicted to the Hokey Pokey, but...I turned myself around. 

It was Christmas Eve 1984, and I was a co-presider over Communion. It was a bitter cold evening and the streets were icy. An hour before the service, as Chuck and Sally were getting dressed, Chuck surprised Sally with a full-length mink coat. As Sally walked up the aisle to receive communion, it was obvious she was very excited about her gift because her coat fell open to reveal she had forgotten to put her skirt on…yep…she was wearing a beautiful silk blouse and panty hose and high heels. I looked at Sally, she was smiling from ear to ear, and whispered, “I think you have forgotten something.” Puzzled, Sally looked down and gasped. She walked quickly to the back row and sat through the service holding her coat around her like a beach towel. Her desire missed the meaning of the gift and the present moment of anticipating the birth of the ways of Christ in her life.  You know, sometimes we hold on so tightly to our perfectly planned lives I imagine the Spirit saying, "Cute Traci. But have you forgotten what matters the most?"

If you’ve ever wondered why the universe exists, scientists might tell you it’s quantum fluctuations, but perhaps the real answer is: the universe desired loving company—and a good laugh. The cosmos, in all its sparkling vastness, is not some cold, impersonal machine. At its heart, the universe hums with creativity, goodness, love, and yes, a dash of cosmic humour. You could say we are experiencing a sacred beautiful drama, where every human is free to create a meaningful life full of goodness, love, and service to others.

If you’re anything like me, we clutch our five-year plans like a toddler with a juice box—white-knuckled, wide-eyed, and completely unaware that it’s about to explode all over the backseat.

But here’s the thing: real life—the good, messy, purpose-filled, future-you-wouldn’t-believe-it-if-I-told-you kind of life—isn’t found in what we’ve planned. It’s found in our accepting the present moment, and in our practicing – our living into the ways of LOVE and creating the road as we go.

The Apostle Paul had a few things to say about that. In his letter to the Philippians, he basically said, “Look, I’ve got a resume. I’ve got accomplishments. I was the Pharisee of Pharisees. But I’m not dragging all that stuff with me. I’m forgetting what’s behind and reaching forward to what’s ahead—because LOVE is calling me forward into something new.”

Paul wasn’t stuck in nostalgia. He wasn’t busy trying to relive his glory days or control every step of the journey. He was running toward something better—even if it meant releasing control of the itinerary.

As we live into our visioning, it requires us to leave nostalgia, but not our pants and skirts, just sayin. Visioning asks us to let go of the past and grieve it if we need to. We can say a few kind words, maybe throw the past a farewell gratitude party. But then, we need to move on because the life waiting for us has a different but beautiful view, and it doesn’t require us to pretend we’ve got it all together. After all, the Sacred is not asking for perfection. The Spirit desires to co-create a meaningful journey with us and write a better story than the one we had in mind. If Paul can go from persecutor to preacher, you and I can definitely shift from “over-planner” to “open-hearted” as we make sure we are dressed for the journey. We need to trust that the Spirit’s GPS reroutes better than ours. And unlike Siri, LOVE never says, “Recalculating” with judgment in her voice.

As humans, we’re not just spectators—we’re co-creators. We don’t have to be an artist like Margaret Kyle, Vivaldi, or Michael Buble. Whether we’re harvesting peaches or tomatoes, or writing prose or heart-warming songs, we are echoing the Spirit’s creative logic. Every act of imagination—even those doodled during long meetings or boring sermons—adds to the cosmic mural.

Let’s be honest: goodness is what keeps the universe from turning into an eternal reality TV show. When we choose kindness over sarcasm or help someone without expecting a thank you note, we’re stirring the foundational energy that binds galaxies and hearts alike.

Goodness is the duct tape of society—it holds together relationships, mends wounds, and keeps us from falling apart when life throws curveballs. Every kind act is like dropping a pebble in a pond, sending ripples of hope far beyond what our tired eyes can see.

Above all, love is the force that keeps the cosmic dance moving through our steadfast commitment to one another, our willingness to share the last piece of cake or pizza, and our being courageous enough to say “I’m sorry” even when we are pretty sure we’re not wrong.

Love draws us out of ourselves so we can enter genuine relationships, and sometimes attend awkward family get togethers. When we love creatively, we turn everyday moments—like sharing memes or listening to a friend vent—into ordinary miracles. Love invites us to build a meaningful life, filled with generosity, empathy, and the occasional knock-knock joke.

Knock, knock. Who's there? Thermos. Thermos who? Thermos be a better punchline than this!

In the Christian tradition, Jesus is the ultimate example of creative self-giving. He didn’t just talk about love—he embodied love. Whether turning water into wine or multiplying bread and fish by drawing out the generosity of sharing in the crowd, his life was a masterclass in generosity and humour. His messages were full of wit and wisdom where fig trees, lost coins, and wayward sheep all enjoyed their moment in the spotlight. Through these stories, he invited listeners to imagine a world ruled not by fear, but by love, laughter, and a little creative mischief.

To imitate Jesus is to embrace a life of creative generosity and to let humour lighten our steps. Folks, we are called to create, whether it’s a delicious Lake Country peach cobbler or a wildly ambitious spreadsheet, creation is our cosmic birthright. Mistakes and failures are simply proof that we tried. We are called to bless those in our presence like when we drive into our parking lot and see John and Elaine pulling weeds without being asked. Moments of witnessing the kindness of others exist for us to enter and expand the kindness by saying, “John and Elaine, you are precious perennials, thank you.” Even when we take Sudafed to spend time with a friend who has a cat, through our sneezing we can tell our friend that their cat looks particularly philosophical and in charge of their house.

Every moment presents space for us to sprinkle encouragement wherever we go. We don’t need a special occasion to spread the confetti of kindness and love. We exist to help when we notice someone in need. David Reid offers practical support all the time and like many of you, Norrie doesn’t miss a beat in providing her compassionate ears and encouraging words. Sometimes, just infusing some humor makes all the difference in getting one’s point across. Like Jesus, we exist to serve and find sweet meaning in offering our time, skills, lessons life has taught us, and more than anything, our unconditional presence.

It’s okay when we are not our best selves, enthusiasm and good humour go a long way. Recall moments when you spent time nurturing the earth, or sitting with someone vulnerable, or a time when you intentionally refilled you own inner bucket. All our connections and relationships blossom when we pour patience, empathy, and laughter into them, because friends, we are spiritual beings having a human experience with divine intention for us to enjoy our journey.  When we remember the moments in our lives that we have enjoyed the most, who was there? Where were we? What was happening? Were we laughing at ourselves? Were we playing with our children, grandchildren, or friends? Were we resting, like Jesus often did, slipping away from others to go sit and watch a reed being shaken by the wind, restoring his soul? It isn’t difficult to choose joy in the absurdity of life. Remember, humour is the universe’s way of saying, “Don’t take it all too seriously” or “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Life lived according to the logic of the universe isn’t just solemn reflection—it’s a playful tango. Humor helps us survive the up coming goodbyes, makes failures feel less frightening, connects us across miles and guides us in healing human divisions. Laughter is the glue that binds us together when words fall short.

When we laugh, we create safe space for hope, resilience, and growth. Humor isn’t an escape from meaning…no. Humor offered with love and wisdom is what gives meaning a softer edge and invites us to try again, no matter how many times we forget a piece of clothing.

To live meaningfully is to accept the universe’s invitation to create, bless, help, serve, care, and enjoy the world—preferably salted with laughter. Especially on our most difficult days, we need to remember that laughter lightens burdens, illuminates the way through, and heals our minds and bodies, restoring our energy as we are given a new meaningful and loving perception of what is present.

Folks, our journey isn’t about beautiful table settings, straight rows in our orchards, bank account balances, and certainly not making false peace at everyone’s costs. Life has and will continue to bring uncertainty, confusion, spilled coffee, and moments of disorientation, when necessary, change emerges. But when we infuse goodness, creativity, love, and laughter, new beginnings are always possible as we choose the lightness of being.

One day after I called my mother to talk about my search for new meaning, I visited a local pet store, hoping animals had it all figured out. I encountered a goldfish swimming in circles, a cat napping in a sunbeam, and a parrot squawking, “What’s the point?” at regular intervals.

I asked the store clerk if animals ever seemed lost or like they’re searching for meaning.

Chewing her gum so loudly, I wanted to scream, the clerk shrugged her shoulders, and never once looking at me said, “The goldfish thinks every lap is a new adventure. The cat naps like it invented sleep. The parrot just likes repeating things. Maybe meaning is overrated.” I immediately thought, “Mensa, you’ll never drive a stick shift.”

I walked next door and bought a cactus believing it would be difficult to kill. I was wrong, and apparently, I too was not a Mensa member, but at least I could drive a standard. And boom! There it was…I found meaning inside humor.

Each day, whether through a kind word, a courageous act, or a well-timed pun, we can help co-create a world of meaning, joy, and hope. An important thing to remember is even when we don’t know what is coming next, the Spirit is constantly inviting us to join in the sacred drama of desire by adding our own verses, our whole beautiful and no one else like us selves, and when we do, we will make meaningful connections with the present moment. May it be so, amen.