Along The Way: To Bee Or Not To Bee

by

Practicing Faith

Oboedire | April 29, 2026

I have previously written that one of the blessings of retirement (now fourteen years of it)  has been to explore and experience creation spirituality in ways I did not do in the previous stages of my life. One of the learnings is to see how the words consciousness and mind go far beyond the human manifestations of them. We are in a “mindful” cosmos with intelligence and sentience bespangled throughout it.

My most recent discover has come through bees. For the past few decades, scientists have been finding things about them never known before. Studies reveal that “bees can recognize patterns, differentiate between symbols, identify human faces, cooperate on novel tasks, and plan for the future.” [1] They also can engage in cost-benefit analysis, deciding whether or not it is worth it to travel to certain flowers to extract the pollen. Moreover, they can transfer what they know to others for the benefit of the hive. And even more fascinating is that they appear to be sentient, not just intelligent, experiencing and processing emotions.

Learning about things like this is enjoyable, but more, it is formative. Indeed, “the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows God’s handiwork” (Psalm 19:1), confirming that we are sacredly and magnificently made (Psalm 139:14)—and that well beyond those of us called human. Through the wonders of creation, we are reminded that God has made covenant with all things (Genesis 9:8-17). And in this knowledge we have the opportunity to tend the creation so that it thrives and continues.

[1] Hannah Nordhaus, “The Sneaky Genius of Nature’s Brightest Thinkers,” National Geographic, May 2026, 30.

The Rev. Dr. Steve Harper is retired seminary professor who taught for 32 years in the disciplines of Spiritual Formation and Wesley Studies. Author and co-author of more than fifty books.. He is also a retired elder in The Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.