Yesterday, when I was busy peeling apples to make into an apple crisp, S made a strange sound in the other room. It was part gasp, part yelp, and part the sound of awe people make when they're watching fireworks.

"Mama, look!"

I went into the dining room, holding a half-peeled apple, the curl of peel still dangling. Q came too, from the living room.

There, at eye level (for me) on our sliding glass door, was the most astounding, prehistoric-looking bug I have ever seen—at least in person.  It looked right at us, the way only a praying mantis can, but it wasn't a praying mantis.  After looking at it more closely, I described it this way on Twitter: <span class="entry-content">" bug looks like a praying mantis with an armadillo's housing and stegosaurus' spikes. crazy! anyone know what it might be?"</span>

I tried taking some photos, but they didn't do the bug justice. We stared some more as it stared back,  creeping verrrry slowly up the frame of the door. It had a bright red fang (a proboscis?) the length of my pinky nail. The girls and I decided this was worth rousing Jason from his Sunday afternoon nap. (It was about that time, anyway.)

Jason was without question impressed. He was also determined to figure out what this bug was. (In part, he later admitted, he wanted to make sure such a bug couldn't do serious damage to  a neighborhood dog or child.) He began typing characteristics into Google. After some hunting and refining of his search terms, he found it: The Wheel Bug, Assassin of the Insect World.

<a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/800px-wheel_bug_back.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-105" title="800px-wheel_bug_back" src="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/800px-wheel_bug_back-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="359" height="269" /></a>

Just reading about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_bug">Wheel Bug on Wikipedia</a> gave me chills. It's one of the largest terrestrial "true bugs" in existence, and the only member of its genus. It's described as "vicious in the wild" with "cannibalistic behaviors." Here's how it kills and eats its prey:

<em>It has one of the most developed mouth parts among true bugs. Its beak arises from the anterior end of its long, tubular head and unfolds forward. The bug plunges its beak into its victim, holding them with its front legs. It then injects enzymes into the victim, paralyzing them and dissolving their insides, and proceeds to drain all of the victim's bodily fluids.</em>

OK, my point—quick, before I lose anyone who's feeling squeamish. (Instead, I'll drive people away with my gut opinions.) As we examined this amazing creature, I thought two things, pretty much simultaneously:

1. How could anyone think God whipped one of these little guys up on The Sixth Day, approximately five thousand years ago, right before he moved on to make people? <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></span>

2. How could anyone look at this intricate design and <em>not</em> believe in a creative, higher power at work in creation?

In general, my problem with both concepts—traditional creationism and a traditional view of evolution—is that they limit God. The first one limits God <span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">by assuming everything that exists today had to be made by him <em>exactly as it is</em>, without any changes along the way. Can't God dream up something and give it the ability to adapt and change through time? The second belief, of course, limits God by just shutting him out of the process entirely. </span></span>

I think it's pretty clear I'm not a scientist nor a theologian, so if you're tempted to debate me from either side you probably won't find it very satisfying. Last month, though, Jason and I heard a radio interview with a guy named <a href="http://thankgodforevolution.com/">Michael Dowd</a>, who I think might be articulating something I believe but haven't had words for. (Btw, Rev. Dowd calls himself an "Evangelical Evolutionist." I love it. A perfect example of the "living a life in between" stuff I'm always carrying on about.)

Basically, Rev. Dowd (who is married to evolution writer <a href="http://www.thegreatstory.org/CB-writings.html">Connie Barlow</a>) believes God and evolution co-exist, and he's committed to traveling around the country promoting religion that isn't afraid of science. Apparently Christians and atheists alike are open to his message.

I need to read more of Rev. Dowd's work before I can know for sure what I think about his beliefs. But there was something he said In the interview I heard that was particularly exciting to me. He said (and I'm paraphrasing), the only evolution story most Christians have heard is one that's cold and soulless, devoid of any larger purpose or meaning. Until we can re-tell the story in a way that's God-affirming and life-affirming, as well as science-affirming, I don't blame people for resisting evolution.

I think that's true of pretty much everything surrounding life and religion. It's not that the facts are necessarily wrong. It's about finding a new paradigm and figuring out how to best tell the story.