We are so
in a very, very, big
yet…we
are
Not
We are never
Alone.
In our
little nature
God
In our small view of things
He is…
So why do we
struggle with our
Do we falter
why do we
our
existence?
Here is
a Reassurance:
God.
….
-just a thought.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
Recently a new television series on science and the universe began on the FOX television channel. It is called “The Cosmos” updated and adapted from the the original series by Carl Sagan.
It’s host is American astrophysicist, author and science communicator Neil deGrasse
Tyson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson
Some fundamental Christians might be offended by this television series due to the absence of the Creator and in some cases how the church in the middle ages is portrayed. I honestly am not offended by either of these, in fact I find myself fascinated by the universe and how far science and our human exploration has come since the original series was aired in 1980.
You see for me science and our Creator go hand in hand. When I watch this series and other series’ about the universe I can’t help but marvel at the vastness of God’s creation.
Tunnel Vision:
It is my belief that sometimes we of faith in God limit our understanding of a limitless Creator. We can become so fixated on the details of creation and how it was made and how long it took to make it. Granted I recognize too that science and those who solely rely on its tangible data can also have tunnel vision when theories of space and the ever expanding universe are completely quantified and accepted as concrete truths. By this I mean to say that when something becomes accepted as truth it is very hard to change that acceptance if more evidence comes along to shake that truth apart. For instance at one point people believed that the Sun revolved around the earth but we know now that the Earth actually revolves around the Sun.
What I am trying to say is that this Universe is amazing and wondrous and we who have faith in God shouldn’t be afraid to explore it and study it because I believe it points right back to Him! Recently I wrote that we cannot put God in a box and completely quantify his majestic nature, and when it comes to the Universe we can only begin to catch a glimpse of how deep and how wide God’s love is for us (Ephesians 3:18) along side His truly mind-boggling creation of the Universe around us.
Recently I have been teaching a bible study in our church (Corps) on the book of Revelation. In this study I have stressed over and over again to our little class not to get so caught up in the interpretation and meaning of the symbolism of John’s vision and even various theories of the apocalypse for that matter. In other words don’t lose the forest for the tree, don’t get so bogged down in the details that you lose sight of the bigger (much bigger) picture! In the very same sense, the series of the Cosmos on FOX and other studies of our Universe should be looked at in this way as well. How amazing is our God and that of His vast creation around us. How small we are in His Universe, and though we may not comprehend it all, we should begin to see how much He loves us and how precious we are to Him.
“…your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
Like the sorrows of the sea
drifting back and forth,
froth with foam
deep as the midnight sky
a firmament of wonder
that stretches out far beyond
our eyes can see…
there we find our humble
existence.
There we recognize
just how finite we are
within an infinite realm.
As the ebb and flow
the undertow
and the currents of time
cast us about messages in bottles
and washed up wreckages
we tell our tale, a story to share
existential clarity
never charity but love
centered and fine.
This pure hope resounds
keeps stillness at bay,
at arms length the death knell
is silenced.
Thankful
I close my eyes…
and enjoy this journey.
Yesterday I received some criticism for my view on heaven and hell; essentially that I believe that there is such a place. Coupled with the fact that we are people who must accept the consequences of the decisions we make. Every action has an equal reaction. Choice = Consequences. I was accused of circular thinking…was Newton in his laws thinking circularly too?
I’m not here to criticize or judge others…that has never and will never be my place. Here’s my thought on heaven and hell for the atheist. If there is no God, then what is there to lose to believe? By that I mean, if there’s nothing at stake at the end of human life then why not believe? Flipping the coin isn’t there so much more to lose if there actually is a God and we chose not to explore, not to believe then we are at fault…I am at fault?
I don’t perceive to know what the afterlife will be like, but I believe there is one! As far as other religions go, was I condemning them yesterday? No. But throughout all of humanity and our history, who other than Jesus Christ came to show Love? Who other than Christ came to redeem and actually called Himself the Son of God? Jesus even said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6) He didn’t say I am ONE of the ways, but THE way. Jesus came for the entire world, not (and especially not) for the religiously legalistic, He came for those seeking. In fact His own people rejected Him, and the Gentiles became recipients of His grace. You can shoot holes in that all day, but the fact of the matter is that God never has given up on humanity. He never will!
This brings me to my topic of conversation for today.
What do I stand for? I stand for Absolute Truth.
There are those within our culture that will say that truth is relative, that when you boil down situational issues in life, one person’s truth may be another person’s non-truth. But does that negate evidence that there is truth in our world? The common question we must ask in this pursuit of truth is this; “What is truth?” What do you believe truth to be?
If we look to science one can find this principle in action when we consider what the freezing point and the boiling point of things are can’t we? This would be evidence of definitive proof that there is a law of absolutes already in place in our universe. When Jesus made the claim that He was the way and the truth, He meant it. Despite the fact that there are those who would re-write history to make it more palatable, one thing exists that cannot be shaken despite revisionists attempts. Absolute truth will stand. I don’t need to defend it, people have studied sociology, theology and many ‘ologies’ and if you hold to any kind of chaos theory if one were to boil it down it just doesn’t make sense.
Where did everything come from? Unlike Stephen Hawking who insists that the universal ‘big bang’ took place without the presence of a God or an outside force…my question would be how did all of these elements come to be in the first place? How did a molecule or the first form of life become something else? If we look at this notion we begin to realize it is all theory and none of it can be proven. I’m not saying that I’m anywhere near as smart as Hawking by any means, and you can call me ignorant or a fool or anything else you would like but I believe with my whole heart that there is an absolute truth in this Universe and His name is I AM…God.
What do I stand for? I believe in absolute truth, I believe in order of the universe. I believe we were all created for a purpose and not by accident, and I believe this world is full of hope and potential that reaches far beyond our physical lives…all because of this one absolute Truth that governs our world.
What do you stand for?
I enjoy discussions about differences and varying views, I’m not here to judge or shout down anyone…I’m just calling it how I believe God has shown me, and I believe in His truth.
Pastor's Ponderings 