First Thoughts: Breathless

I am writing this soon after the total eclipse of the sun has taken place. What an extraordinary event! Somehow just seeing the pictures sends a shiver down my spine; the unfolding coverage of the sun’s orb by the bite by bite of the moon’s shadow was like a text book demonstration in a school laboratory. Yet it was for real! I understand that such events are more frequent than I had supposed – the reality is that they are mostly only visible from the oceans. But it still fills me with wonder that our scientists are able to predict an occurrence like this  with such accuracy, and that the universe is actually built on observable and universal laws. For the universe is no random, haphazard soup of molecules and atoms.

So, let’s hear it for our scientists first of all. The rapid strides being made by science in pretty much every area of life is surely apparent to all of us; yes, there are areas where the dangers need to be faced and not every step forward is automatically beneficial. But a moments reflection will surely lead to a greater appreciation of the wonder of the world.

And let’s hear it for the Creator! The laws which apply on this tiny planet apply across the creation. Our capacity to delve into them, to test and comprehend them is surely also part of the Creator’s intelligent plan. When we use our brains to inquire into creation, we are not challenging God, but worshipping Him.

I was reminded, too, of those verses from Mark’s Gospel chapter 13, particularly verse 24, “In those days the sun will grow dark, and the moon will no longer shine.”  

Some Christians will see this (and surrounding verses of this particular chapter) as Jesus predicting events which are coming true in our day. Others will want to see these verses as part of a kind of writing called “Apocalyptic” where visions and catastrophes are linked to the end of time. There are examples of this in the Book of Revelations as well as in the second part of Daniel. Mark Chapter 13 is like this, and is so different from the rest of the Gospel that it must be interpreted according to different criteria.

Whatever your view, rejoice in the wonder of the universe, celebrate the constructive progress of science, and enjoy the sunshine if it comes!