The Cosmos - Accident or Creation 12 Feb 2012

I wish I could remember the young scientist’s name but he has appeared on a programme about the cosmos and another, on how the world developed, and life came into being. There are several times when he is swept away at the order, the beauty and immensity of what he is describing. He almost gets to the point of praise and I wish I could give him a nudge into the obvious conclusion of his own words and name the Creator. However, that may be the end of his scientific credibility and career in the bleak world of rationalism. Fundamentalist Christianity does not help in the argument either. They insist on a literal interpretation of the creation stories of Genesis. They seem to miss what Genesis and the young scientist have in common, the wonder and splendour of the universe, which leads to a point of understanding. Another point of view is the concept of intelligent design. Without saying the words, “God” or “Creator” people of faith and science come to some form of agreement. Yet that too is not acceptable to many on the fundamentalist Christian corner, sticking to Genesis or the stark rationalists in the scientific world who will only work with what is scientific proven. Of course, what is at stake behind all of this is our identity – are we a freak accident of the evolving universe or something willed into being as an act of love. The whole point of Genesis, even if we no longer accept the world created in seven days, is that God wills our being. However, we can step away from Genesis and look at it from another viewpoint. It is a viewpoint of Christian faith – but it is founded upon historic facts, Jesus Christ and how we understand who he is. In Jesus Christ, our Lord, we discover and discern what a human being, God’s project is, and consequently, of our status and relationship to Him. So as Christians, we see in Christ, God’s active pursuit of his creation to restore it to its original beauty. We call Christ “our Saviour”, because he saves us from our tragic circumstances of sin and death and brings us back into a living relationship with the Creator. What is so amazing in this is that it is an act of love and compassion – the same love that that brings the Cosmos in being. We truly become God’s creation in following Christ.