[Author's note] This post is a supplement to a book I've just written titled, BLUE MOMENTS: A Journey Into the Sacred Unseen. Blue Moments will be out later this year.
An Invitation to a New Way of Seeing Reality
Have you ever had a moment where the world seemed to respond to you? A conversation that arrived at just the right time, a decision that felt guided by an unseen rhythm, or an encounter that felt too meaningful to be coincidence? What if these weren’t just random occurrences but glimpses into the very nature of reality itself?
For centuries, we’ve been told two dominant stories about how the world works. One says that reality is a fixed system, operating like clockwork, where meaning is something we discover like laws of physics. The other claims that reality is a blank slate, where meaning is something we create, shaping the world however we choose. But what if both of these miss something deeper? Determinism insists that meaning is preordained and external, an objective structure waiting to be uncovered, while relativism claims that meaning is entirely subjective, a fluid construct shaped solely by perception and preference. But neither fully captures our experience of reality.
What if reality is neither pre-scripted nor meaningless—but dialogical, where meaning is neither dictated from without nor fabricated from within, but arises through engagement and response? What if meaning is not discovered like a fossil, nor fabricated like a myth, but something that emerges through interaction—between us, the world, and something greater?
I call this perspective Dialogical Convergence— a way of seeing the world that converses with the ways science, philosophy, and theology describe reality from their narrow disciplines, but ultimately relies on human engagement with reality. The human experience has shown us how meaning is not static, not chaotic, but dynamically unfolding in response to engagement.
Reality is Not a Machine—It’s a Conversation
For centuries, science has presented the universe as a vast, indifferent machine, governed by predictable laws. For centuries, science was wrong, but we already knew this. We do not encounter the universe as detached, indifferent observers; we experience it as participants, embedded in its unfolding reality. As we are a part of the universe, then the universe cannot be said to be indifferent. Unless you’re suggesting that we are not a part of the universe.
The latest discoveries in physics, biology, and neuroscience are beginning to align with what human experience has long revealed—reality is not cold and mechanical, but dialogical and responsive. We have always known this through intuition, relationships, creativity, and the undeniable pull of meaning in our lives.
- Quantum Mechanics tells us that particles do not have definite states until they are observed—suggesting that reality responds to interaction.
- Complexity Science reveals that order emerges from chaos, not from rigid control.
- Neuroscience shows that our brains do not simply record the world but shape it through expectation, perception, and engagement.
The world is not a pre-programmed simulation or a blank slate—it is alive with dialogical meaning.
The Fire That Transforms—Not Consumes
Throughout history, fire has been a symbol of change. In the biblical story of Moses, he encounters a bush that burns but is not consumed—a moment that calls him into participation with something greater. In human experience, fire is not destruction alone—it is a process that refines, transforms, and reveals.
Just as fire refines metal, transforming it without annihilating it, meaning works the same way. It does not exist as something we simply inherit, nor something we invent—it emerges as we engage with reality.
- When we truly listen to another person, meaning is not imposed—it arises between us.
- When we step into the unknown, we don’t fabricate meaning from nothing—it meets us in the journey.
- When we seek purpose, it is not a fixed map nor a random illusion—it is something we participate in creating.
Dialogical vs. Relational: Why This Distinction Matters
It would be easy to call this perspective "relational"—after all, it acknowledges that meaning is formed through connections. But Dialogical Convergence is more than just being in relationship; it is about active engagement in an unfolding exchange.
- A relational view suggests that things simply exist together in connection.
- A dialogical view insists that things respond to one another—that meaning arises not just in coexistence, but through ongoing participation.
The difference is profound. Relationality can be static—a tree is related to the soil simply by existing in it. But dialogue is dynamic—the tree responds to the soil, drawing nutrients, adapting to its environment, and shaping the landscape in return.
Dialogical Convergence insists that meaning is not just about being connected but about engaging in a responsive exchange—with reality, with each other, and with something greater.
What Does This Mean for Us?
If reality is dialogical—an unfolding conversation rather than a rigid structure or a chaotic mess—then our role is not just to observe or control, but to engage.
This changes everything:
- Ethics is not just about following rules or constructing values—it’s about responsiveness to deeper values.
- Knowledge is not just about memorizing facts or subjective belief—it’s about participation in the unfolding reality.
- Faith is not just blind acceptance or mere personal preference—it is stepping into the fire of meaning and allowing it to refine us.
So What Do We Call This?
This way of seeing reality is different from materialism, which says that reality is just physical stuff. It’s different from idealism, which says that reality is just a construct of the mind. And it’s different from postmodernism, which says meaning is entirely subjective.
It suggests something deeper, dialogical, and participatory, distinct from determinism’s rigid structure and relativism’s fluid subjectivity.
So here’s the question: What would you call a vision of reality where meaning is neither imposed nor invented, but emerges through participation?
Here are a few possibilities:
1. Dialogical Convergence – Meaning is not static nor arbitrary, but unfolds in relationship. This is what I'm currently calling this point of view.
2. Teleological Dialogism Combines dialogue (relational meaning) with telos (purpose-driven reality).
3. The Path of Fire – Reality is an unfolding transformation, refining rather than consuming.
Each of these names captures a different angle, but all reflect the same core truth: the world is unfinished, and we are part of its completion. Right now I'm going with Dialogical Convergence: the path of fire. That’s how I refer to it in my book, Blue Moments: a journey into the sacred unseen.
So what do you think? What should we call a reality that speaks, refines, and invites us to participate?
Because whether we name it or not, the fire is already burning.
Turn aside. Step in. Be transformed.
Thanks for restocking these thought, Nic.