by jo555 » Wed Mar 20, 2013 2:51 am
I actually wrote this for one of the writing challenges, but then realized I wasn't eligible to join that one . . .
Anyway, posting it here. I kept it within 500 words for the challenge (that in itself was challenging enough as I am long-winded and love to branch out), but I elaborated some more, adding a few sentences, when I realized it wouldn't be an entry.
Here we go.
Title: Faith and Science
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. ~Romans 1:20
“How can anyone not believe in God?!”
Looking back at where I had been before I made that exclamation, I thought of how unfounded my apprehensions were. What awaited me did not shed doubts on my faith. In fact, it strengthened it.
I’ll have to set the scene for you.
Some twenty years ago I had entered college seeking a higher education and the sciences were part of my curriculum. I wondered, Would it shed doubts on my belief in God? What awaited me in the sciences?
See, back in the day religion and science were viewed as polar opposites. They were arch enemies and their children weren’t allowed to play together. It was widely believed that science was set on disproving the existence of God, while religion held tightly to claims of his existence.
Each set up their own concentration camps that refuted the claims of the other. To venture away from one’s camp was asking for trouble. After all, what good could come of it? No, it was best to stick with one’s own kind.
And what would I learn of Darwin’s crazy claims that our distant cousins were apes, and great, great, great, great . . . Grandma and Grandpa had fins?
As I knew it, the only genetic makeup my supposed cuz and I shared was dirt.
Then there was The Big Bang Theory; a cosmic explosion that birthed the universe and all her children.
Well, that wasn’t so far fetched. I can totally see something magnificent happen when God spoke the universe into existence.
So I ventured into the sciences, armed with my prayer and the awareness that my faith was based on more than surface knowledge. And, was I in for an education.
For one, it amazed me to learn that even a tiny cell in the human body knows what to do in its environment, and does it well. And who gave all life forms their instincts and built in knowledge? Sure, science had answers to those questions, but for me science's answers fell short without an engineer behind it. Who but a Master Designer can create such a masterpiece? Objective facts not only revealed our defensive position, it also revealed our offensive one for all around us God has left his fingerprints, testimony to his existence, as the book of Romans so rightfully claims. Back in the day many used science with all its facts to claim that religion was a bunch of nonsense that some dudes from the past created to make sense of it all, yet after examining all the evidence, not only did I still strongly believe, I thought it would be a difficult thing not to believe in God (although a bit wiser now, I know there is more to it than that, John 6:43-45).
This wasn't nonsense being used to make sense of it all. There's evidence everywhere that makes sense of the belief in God.
I learned a valuable lesson in college. There are wonderful opportunities awaiting us to get to know God more intimately; to deepen our faith. Our apprehensions and fears need not hinder us from that process. We can trust God to keep us and deepen our faith as we invite Him with us. Doubt need not be our enemy for it can reveal just how deep our faith runs. And if we turn to Him with our fears and doubt instead of hiding in shame, He will reveal Himself to us and the roots of our faith in God will continue to go deeper.
