April 26, 2023
by Reverend Dan on April 26, 2023Last week, I got away for part of a day to try and recuperate after Holy Season just about wiped me out this year. (I’ve learned after 25 years of doing this that a full day rarely happens so I take what I can get and be happy – that whole “learn to be content in all circumstances” thing Paul talked about.) I just needed time to recalibrate and re-energize, so when I found out I needed to be in the area of one of my “go-to” places, I stole a couple hours on the Boardwalk at the beach just watching and listening to the waves lap up on the shore. It may have been a little chilly and windy, but the area was secluded so I had the place to myself. A little piece of Heaven on earth.
I have two places where I go when my body and mind and soul need to refresh. One is the beach. The ocean is an incredibly powerful force. The changing tides pulled by the moon, the breadth and depth of vast amounts of water, the life-giving and -taking power it has. Knowing one degree one way or the other on the earth’s axis and the whole thing falls apart. Just incredible.
My other retreat is the mountains. Sitting on top of a mountain watching the sunrise reminds me that there is a God above who never sleeps and who each morning paints a picture no oils and canvas can. And He doesn’t even use a brush. He simply speaks, and it is.
I think those two places mean so much to me is because I can feel just a small sense of how omnipotent and awe-inspiring our Creator God is. The new “buzzword” over the last 50 years for creationism is “intelligent design.” (I guess that’s two words. Whatever.) It simply means there was a force which existed before the universe was formed. The reasoning is that the universe is so incredibly detailed that only an existing omni-intelligent being could create the intricacies of the universe, the human body, the laws of nature, etc., and not have it all fall apart. Everything had to be planned, designed, and put in place precisely or none of it would work or survive. The truth is intelligent design isn’t a new concept. It’s the first sentence in the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God was the intelligent designer.
Evolution? Sure, things adapt and change. But that doesn’t mean science negates religion. If anything, it confirms it. Even in our advanced technological world, scientists don’t have all the answers because human intelligence is limited. They admit there’s a lot they still don’t know and can’t explain. That means there must have been Someone back at the beginning way smarter than us because we’ve had thousands of years and great minds to figure it all out and there are still gaps in our understanding. Folks, time is a human invention. People get all worked up about “millions of years” and “timelines of human history.” But don’t blame God because we invented time and then don’t fully understand all the implications of what we invented. Sometimes when we argue about creationism versus evolution, God must sit in Heaven and wonder, “Don’t they have more important things they could be doing? Loving their neighbor? Those who are hungry? Compassion? Love? I told them My ways are not their ways. Don’t they listen?”
Why can’t it be both? We change – we evolve – why can’t the things around us? That doesn’t mean God didn’t create it. It just means part of His design is that things have to change. Change is a sign of life and of growth.
I’m not smart enough to understand the universe. Truth is, I can’t even figure out how to use a lot of the features on my iPhone. What I do know is that all this just didn’t happen when something went “Bang.” And even if it did, someone had to light the fuse for the explosion. And I know who that someone was. And still is.
backI have two places where I go when my body and mind and soul need to refresh. One is the beach. The ocean is an incredibly powerful force. The changing tides pulled by the moon, the breadth and depth of vast amounts of water, the life-giving and -taking power it has. Knowing one degree one way or the other on the earth’s axis and the whole thing falls apart. Just incredible.
My other retreat is the mountains. Sitting on top of a mountain watching the sunrise reminds me that there is a God above who never sleeps and who each morning paints a picture no oils and canvas can. And He doesn’t even use a brush. He simply speaks, and it is.
I think those two places mean so much to me is because I can feel just a small sense of how omnipotent and awe-inspiring our Creator God is. The new “buzzword” over the last 50 years for creationism is “intelligent design.” (I guess that’s two words. Whatever.) It simply means there was a force which existed before the universe was formed. The reasoning is that the universe is so incredibly detailed that only an existing omni-intelligent being could create the intricacies of the universe, the human body, the laws of nature, etc., and not have it all fall apart. Everything had to be planned, designed, and put in place precisely or none of it would work or survive. The truth is intelligent design isn’t a new concept. It’s the first sentence in the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God was the intelligent designer.
Evolution? Sure, things adapt and change. But that doesn’t mean science negates religion. If anything, it confirms it. Even in our advanced technological world, scientists don’t have all the answers because human intelligence is limited. They admit there’s a lot they still don’t know and can’t explain. That means there must have been Someone back at the beginning way smarter than us because we’ve had thousands of years and great minds to figure it all out and there are still gaps in our understanding. Folks, time is a human invention. People get all worked up about “millions of years” and “timelines of human history.” But don’t blame God because we invented time and then don’t fully understand all the implications of what we invented. Sometimes when we argue about creationism versus evolution, God must sit in Heaven and wonder, “Don’t they have more important things they could be doing? Loving their neighbor? Those who are hungry? Compassion? Love? I told them My ways are not their ways. Don’t they listen?”
Why can’t it be both? We change – we evolve – why can’t the things around us? That doesn’t mean God didn’t create it. It just means part of His design is that things have to change. Change is a sign of life and of growth.
I’m not smart enough to understand the universe. Truth is, I can’t even figure out how to use a lot of the features on my iPhone. What I do know is that all this just didn’t happen when something went “Bang.” And even if it did, someone had to light the fuse for the explosion. And I know who that someone was. And still is.
