Wednesday, January 1, 2003
|
Wednesday, January 1, 2003 |
|
Pondering the stars, planets ... and God By JOHN HATCHER Perspective. Just who are you as we enter this New Year? Let me clarify where you are. You are living on a planet which belongs to a Solar System that's a star orbited by planets, asteroids, comets, and other bodies. The most far out planet in our Solar System is Pluto and it is 3,694,844,400 miles away from the sun. Remember from science, the earth is located some 93,000,000 miles from the sun. Little more perspective. Our Solar System (Ha! as if it belongs to us) belongs in the galaxy of stars and planets called The Milky Way. Scientists believe that "our" Milky Way contains between 200 and 400 billion solar systems big as or bigger than our own. And "our" Milky Way Galaxy is one of, Lord only knows, how many galaxies. However, to be as precise as possible, the word among some scientists is that there are between 50 and 100 billion galaxies. Now, about 3000 years ago a mere half-drop in the bucket of time and space a holy man said, "Our Lord and Ruler...I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. Then I ask, 'Why do you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for us weaklings?' You made us a little lower than you yourself, and you have crowned us with glory and honor" (Psalms 8:1,3-5). It's a good thing to do. Ponder the stars and planets, that is. Many of us Bible-believers have shied away from pondering the heavens too much for fear we will come up with a God-less cosmos. On the contrary, our greatest scientists have pondered the universe and its vastness and other areas of inquiry, while maintaining faith in God or even growing in their faith of God. Often we have been to believe falsely that scientists and atheists are one and the same. Yet the following men were either God-fearers, Christians, or even devoted men of their churches: Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543), Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Rene Descartes (1596-1650), Isaac Newton (1642-1727), Robert Boyle (1791-1867), Michael Faraday (1791-1867), Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), Kelvin (William Thompson) (1824-1907), Max Planck (1858-1947), Albert Einstein (1879-1955). The Psalmists and the scientists over the centuries have concluded that an investigation of the vastness of space and the laws of nature reinforce their conclusion that there is a God who cares for them, the human race, and takes great pains to demonstrate just that. As you begin a New Year, why don't you ponder the stars, moons, planets, and other heavenly bodies to discover how much God thinks of you? The Psalmist, looking into the vastness of the heavens, discovered that rather than being insignificant, we are the crown and glory of God's creation. You are more important than Pluto. In fact, Pluto was put there for you, your rule, and your enjoyment. It's far out, man! The Rev.
Dr. John Hatcher is pastor of |
