If God is God, he is not Earthbound.
And given that our understandings of God have always been contextual, then as our knowledge of the universe expands, then it seems to me certain that our conception of God will change too.
I say this because of the ongoing conflict between science and faith that has been an occasional theme on this blog. On the one side we have incredible scientific leaps in knowledge- particularly in the field of astrophysics- and on the other hand, we have strange animosity towards this knowledge from large sections of believers. It is almost as if every morsel of science has to be resisted- lest the purity of Biblical Truth is compromised.
I am no scientist, and so have little interest in the technical side of the debates. But what fascinates me is the meaning they bring into our existence. The place of earth, of complex life, of humanity in the order of things.
In the eye of God.
And then there is the staggering beauty of it all- check out the images on the Hubble and NASA sites…
The Hubble telescope has been in orbit around earth for around 11 years, and in that time, almost everything we think we knew about deep space, has changed. Knowledge is racing forward, and who knows where it will take us to? Almost like Goldilocks standing before the vast dark forest…
Today, NASA announced the findings of the Kepler mission– searching stars in one tiny bit of space to try to identify earth-like planets. Kepler is the first NASA mission capable of finding Earth-size planets in or near the “habitable zone,” the region in a planetary system where liquid water can exist on the surface of the orbiting planet- otherwise evocatively known as the ‘Goldilocks zone’- not too hot, and not too cold.
Quite simply, places where life might evolve and be sustained.
Or you could say- places created for creation.
Because the human condition has at it’s very core a void of mystery. Like the Universe itself. But what a beautiful thing it is.
this fragile tent 