I discovered this public art in downtown Greeley, Colorado, spray painted by local artist, Armando Silva.

Since Einstein was one smart guy, I chose ten (eleven, including the last one) of his quotes to share how they relate to my Christian faith.

1. Imagination is more important than knowledge

 – As a writer, imagination is a vital tool of my trade. It outranks knowledge. Knowledge is learning something already established, looking back. Imagination takes us into the future, new possibilities and discoveries, deeper spirituality. Consider Ephesians 1:17-18: That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. I love the words, “the eyes of your heart.” I believe the Holy Spirit guides our imagination and “eyes of our hearts,” to greater depths.

2. There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.

– When you open the “eyes of your heart” to miracles and truly expect them, they happen. Try it. It works and you’ll be amazed. Einstein knew this.

One of our little churches had no Sunday school materials, no money, no nursery toys, and suddenly so many little kids. I’d looked around last week at Goodwill and other places and found nothing. On Sunday I told God what we needed. After Mass we turned the corner past our church to discover a larger church had a front yard full of Sunday School materials (some brand new) and nursery toys. Free! (I offered a small donation). Miracle? You bet. I could write a blog a day about miracles and never run out of stuff to write. The Bible is filled with God’s transforming miracles. 1 Corinthians 12:28 says, “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.” Our God is the God of miracles.

3. Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.  

– If more people truly believed this, along with Einstein, the world would change dramatically. Are you a giver or a taker? St. Francis said, “It is in giving that we receive.” Though at times it was painful to give beyond my comfort zone, I’ve never once regretted my acts of giving.  Acts 20:35 says, In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

4. When the solution is simple, God is answering.

– Sometimes we wrack our brains for answers. Then, we get wise, pray, and give it to God. Bam! The the solution is there and we become amazed at how easy that was. God is loyal. God is just. God likes us. He provides answers. Matthew 7:7 says: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 

5. True religion is real living; living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness.

– At the beginning of each Sunday Liturgy in our Holy Catholic Church, Anglican Rite the priest reads the Summary of the Law from Matt. 22:37-34: THOU shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Truly following these words of Jesus (and Einstein) is real living with all one’s soul, with all one’s goodness and righteousness.

6. Only a life lived for others is a life worth while

– Or as Scripture says in John 15:13: There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

7. Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Not force, but prayer, petition, and thanksgiving will gain the peace of God in our hearts.

8. The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything.

Consider The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:14-31. The Rich man basically did nothing to harm Lazarus, the beggar at his gate. His only sin: ignoring Lazarus. When Lazarus died the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. When the rich man died he went to Hades and was in torment. Luke 19: 11-27 also gives us the parable of the talents, where the one who doesn’t use his gifts is condemned. Need I say more about doing nothing.

9. He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.  

I love to watch the world through the eyes of a child. They are always wide open with wonder and awe. This is how we need to look at the world and this is the way we should worship God. Maintaining awe and wonder keeps our souls alive. Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” 

10. Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

One of my favorite songs is, Fairest Lord Jesus 

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

You can’t separate God from nature. It’s His creation. When we admire and respect nature, we admire and respect God’s handiwork. I have a dear friend, who thanks God every time she notices beauty in nature.

Albert Einstein was no dummy. His words are wise and are backed by Holy Scripture. Einstein and Jesus: I think they were friends. I think they’re hanging out together now.