Physicist Albert Einstein coined the term holy curiosity in a magazine interview late in his career. He said: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. . . . One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. . . . Never lose a holy curiosity” (“Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity,’ ” Life magazine, May 2, 1955). 

Holy curiosity is a term that has taken on great significance for me, as I understand it to be key to breaking through doubt and fear and unlocking our potential for spiritual growth.

Doubt can be a buzzkill to the joy of discovering life as spiritual. Doubt may disguise itself as intellectual honesty or a facade of control. It might hide an element of discord that needs to be uncovered. Or it might replace our faith and lead us to seek comfort in hearing about and sympathizing with others’ doubts.