“The Unexpected”

For Ursula K. Le Guin, fantasy and speculation weren’t only about invention; they were about challenging the established order. Photograph by Dana Gluckstein / MPTV Images

Ursula K. Le Guin once spoke of life: “The unexpected is what makes life possible.” Ah, but what if we could tell Ursula, now passed away, “Life itself is the unexpected!” Existence alone — never counted on, even in the form of a cold stone. Pure gift and astonishment: life, the possible woven from the impossible, the very presence of being despite all absence.

Get Senai Demirci, MD’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

Remember me for faster sign in

It seems Ursula’s words brushed close to something primal, echoing from the depths of being. They remind us that revelation is the boundless sky of meaning. Every truth, no matter where or from whom it reaches us, finds shelter beneath that sky. Even a fragment of truth catches the light of that celestial canopy, and those who lift their gaze will always find its trace.

Yes — life itself is the unexpected! And the Gracious Creator, who promises resurrection, assures: “This story will not end unfinished.” So let us take up Ursula’s refrain upon our own lips: “Glory to the yet-unfolding creation!”