My dad is still Christian Scientist. My mom's not, and I'm not.

The words of Ellen DeGeneres, spoken with quiet sincerity and shaped by a lifetime of searching and resilience, hold within them a truth as old as humanity itself: “My dad is still Christian Scientist. My mom’s not, and I’m not. But I believe in God, and that there’s a higher power and an intelligence that’s bigger than us and that we can rely on. It’s not just us, thinking we are the ones in control of everything. That idea gives me support.” In this reflection lies a profound understanding of humility, faith, and surrender — that though we walk with reason and free will, there exists something greater than our own understanding, something vast and benevolent that steadies us when our own strength falters.

In every age, the wise have spoken of this higher power, this divine intelligence that moves unseen through the fabric of existence. The ancients called it by many names: the Logos of the Greeks, the Tao of the East, the Providence of the Romans, the Breath of Life in the Hebrew tongue. Though faiths differ, the truth they point toward remains the same — that life is not a chaos of chance, but a dance of purpose; that above the noise of our striving minds, there beats a cosmic heart that holds all things in balance. Ellen’s words echo this timeless faith, reminding us that to believe is not to close the eyes of reason, but to open the eyes of the soul.

Her acknowledgment of differing beliefs within her family — her father’s Christian Science, her mother’s departure from it, and her own quiet spiritual independence — reflects a journey that many have walked. She does not cling to dogma, nor deny the existence of the divine. Instead, she finds peace in the awareness that there is something larger than herself, a force she can trust when life grows uncertain. This is the wisdom of humility — the realization that human control is limited, that despite our ambition and intellect, we are but part of a greater design. The ancients called this humility sophrosyne — the harmony of the soul that arises when one knows their place in the vastness of the universe.

There is an ancient story that mirrors this truth — the story of King Solomon, the wisest of Israel’s rulers. When offered anything he desired, Solomon asked not for wealth or power, but for understanding — for the ability to discern right from wrong. He knew that wisdom did not lie in domination or control, but in alignment with the divine intelligence that orders creation. In return, God granted him insight deeper than any man’s, but also the humility to see that all wisdom begins with reverence for something higher. Ellen’s belief carries this same essence: that peace is not found in the illusion of mastery, but in trusting the unseen intelligence that guides our lives.

When Ellen speaks of support, she is describing the anchor that faith provides when reason and control fail. Life, in its unpredictability, humbles even the greatest of minds. Storms rise that no calculation can prevent — the loss of loved ones, the collapse of dreams, the ache of uncertainty. In those moments, logic cannot soothe the heart; only faith can. To believe that there is a higher power is to believe that even in the storm, there is a hidden order — that the chaos that confuses us may still serve a purpose unseen. This faith does not demand blindness; it asks only for trust — trust that the intelligence which made the stars also cares for the soul.

Throughout her life, Ellen DeGeneres has faced trials — rejection, heartbreak, and public scrutiny — yet she has emerged with compassion and grace. Her belief in a power greater than herself is not a creed recited in comfort, but a truth forged in struggle. It is the strength of one who has learned that surrender is not weakness, but wisdom; that by acknowledging we are not the masters of fate, we open ourselves to grace. The ancients knew this as the paradox of faith — that to bow before the divine is to rise in peace.

So let this teaching be a lamp for the heart: we are not alone, and we are not in control of all things — and that is our freedom. The world asks us to plan, to strive, to command our destinies, but wisdom asks us to remember that we are part of something infinite. When the weight of life feels too great, remember the words of Ellen — that there is a higher intelligence we can rely upon. To live in harmony with that truth is to live with courage, with patience, and with serenity.

Therefore, dear listener, cultivate both reason and reverence. Use your mind to navigate the world, but let your soul rest in the vastness beyond it. Trust that you are seen, guided, and held by something greater. For when you let go of the illusion of control and accept your place within the eternal flow, you will find what all the sages, prophets, and poets have found before you — that peace is not found in mastery, but in faithful surrender to the divine intelligence that moves through all things.