I used to frazzled by some of these apparent discrepancies -- until I was
brought up short by the following understandings that I have pulled from my
journal. It is these that inspired my first post, not, as Dick and Glenn seem
to assume, some superior knowledge on my part. I am most awed by my ignorance,
not my knowledge.
MUSINGS ON MYSTERIES
I am firmly convinced that nothing in God's creation will ever
fit perfectly into any human categories.
Paul tells us in the first chapter of Romans that from the time
of creation the invisible things of God have been clearly seen
by all men -- God's eternality and divinity. Why is it, then, that
Christian people of science today tend to look upon the created
things as giving evidence of only the temporal and the natural?
Isn't it quite possible that in the telescope and in the
microscope -- and everywhere in between -- we are clearly
seeing evidence of the eternal and the divine (supernatural, if
you please)? Should it be any surprise that time becomes
endless when we gaze out toward the stars? Should it be any
surprise that when we examine the molecule, space becomes
meaningless? And could it not be merely arrogance and
foolishness for us to attempt to explain it all in temporal and
naturalistic terms? At which point do we stop researching and
start worshiping?
Maybe the steady flow of scientists leaving the lab for the
earth worship centers is an indication. Is this, after all, exactly
what made Noble-prize-winning physicist Brian Josephson
make the quantum leap from physics to metaphysics -- from
science to Transcendental Meditation?
Perhaps it is time now for Christian people of science to quit
arguing about origins and join together in prayer to find the
best way to share the love of God with those masses of non-
Christian scientists who once again are having their eyes
opened to God's eternality and divinity. There may be only a
brief moment of time before they again "become vain in their
imaginations" and allow their foolish hearts to once again be
darkened.
Seize the day, people of God!
The astronomer with his vast figures seems to be telling us,
after all, what the ancients said: there are no limits, there are no
ends, there are no beginnings we can see. Bigness gets
forever bigger and smallness gets forever smaller. The attempt
to bring it all into the scope of human understanding and
intelligence has done what it has always done: we either see
God and worship Him in great awe and humility, or we
"suppress the truth" and wander in self-chosen blindness.
Once an individual understands and accepts the essential
truth of Genesis, the remainder of the Bible is not hard to
understand -- nor, for that matter, is the remainder of history.
There are a number of things I don't understand about the
natural world. This lack of comprehension used to drive me to
come up with some all-encompassing explanation for
everything. I felt that I could not rest my faith until all these
imponderables were resolved and cataloged in my brain. I
have come to the point now where I believe it is arrogant to
think that I should be able to have little more than a glimpse of
God's wonderful works and ways. I am content to merely
celebrate, study and handle with reverent care the things He
has created. I have read God's rebuke of Job for thinking he
could explain the way God deals with the earth and mankind,
and I must parrot Job's reply:
"I am unworthy -- how can I reply to you? I put my hand over
my mouth . . . I will say no more" (Job 40:4-5)."
To believe we will ever have all mysteries revealed to us is
arrogant. It is the humble and patient Christian who is willing to
wait and trust in God that He will provide us the answers --
when and if He chooses.
Mankind's attempt to understand God's works and ways in
the universe will always produce mysteries. A mystery, after all,
is nothing more than evidence that human knowledge is limited
and human intelligence finite.
It seems logical for one who believes in an infinite God to
also believe that the universe He created would contain some
evidence of His eternality. It should not be surprising, then, to
learn that mankind's continual attempts to incorporate into our
time and space explanations of the finite physical world all the
mysteries of the micro-universe and the macro-universe are
often futile. It is this fact that makes me hesitant to accept as
fully correct even the explanations of scientists committed, as I
am, to the authority of Scripture.
One of the many negative results of the Age of Reason and
the Age of Science is that they have trained the human mind to
abhor leaving a mystery a mystery. We insist on understanding
everything. The danger in this, however, is that when we gain
a little understanding, we often claim that the mystery is solved
-- which is at best not true, and at worst keeps us from actually
learning the truth.
If there were no mysteries, there would be no hope.
The Apostle Paul's understanding of the subject of
mysteries should be our own:
"Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and
His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).
It must grieve God to see His children separate from one
another because of disagreements over the interpretation of
mysteries they were never intended to fully understand.
Dean Ohlman
Cornerstone College