My wife, Elva, is my best commentator, critic, and champion of my editorial work on Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith. Her creative ideas not only enhance her skills as a practicing optometrist, but also influence her view on life. Her insights into submitted manuscripts and published articles provide a needed perspective for this editor. In honor of her, I am using my editorial space to share with you a poetic essay that she wrote months ago.

Roman J. Miller, Editor
millerrj@rica.net

God carefully, intentionally, lovingly prepares the soil. Scientists say the method is billions of years in process--energy is formed into electrons, protons, neutrons; these specks are formed into globs; these globs are pressured into elements; these elements bathed in water--and the soil is formed.

Then watch! God causes this soil to produce life. Plants and trees spring up, almost defying their cradle of life by raising their leaves high above the soil. Then come the crawling animals. They too are formed from the soil. They are free and yet not free from their cradle of life. They are free to roam above the soil, yet they are sustained by eating plants of the soil. Eventually, however, an unseen umbilical cord pulls them all back to the soil in death.

Then look carefully--a new creation! This one too is formed from soil, the cradle of life. In this creation, however, the umbilical cord is broken. Adam's race is to transcend its cradle of life. This race is to be free from the soil's hold. This race is free to choose, to rule, and to live forever. We stand in silence watching--Adam's race images the Creator!

But, alas! Adam chooses to defy the Creator. Our picture of God is marred; we can no longer see God clearly. We stand aghast. The cradle of life becomes the cradle of death for each and every member of Adam's race. Each one falls to the soil and is consumed by it. The land is defiled by that which it was never to receive--the land receives the blood of Adam's race.

The land reels under this blood. The land reels under the misguided rule of the wayward race. It calls out to its Creator with groanings that cannot be uttered--and waits for the liberation and glorious freedom of the children of God as they are released once more from the soil forever.

Dr. Elva B. Miller
Harrisonburg, VA

©2000