"In the beginning God created …” What He created is immense and complex. People often find it difficult to think about massive systems because minutiae are a more common focus. After all, a small gene of DNA in the chromosome may affect one’s future health; individual atoms produce the overall strength of a magnet; and a small miscue may alter the outcome of a major sporting event. So when one encounters the enormous universe as an interconnected and complex system, one may understandably hesitate to ponder such overwhelming thoughts. However, during the past 40 years enough consistent information about the universe has been obtained through modern technology that we have a greater understanding of the cosmos.
Scientists in various disciplines have contributed the work necessary to permit such a perspective. We can now study the microstructure of the cosmos in much the same way as we study the technical details of a flower or a rock. But this body of knowledge pales when compared with the knowledge necessary for a complete understanding of the universe God created.
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The largely uncontested evidence for the beginning event of the universe has given us an unprecedented perspective on creation. This ultra-large energy burst set the universe on its developing course, but some scientists did not welcome this new understanding because it suggested a definite beginning rather than a preexisting, eternal universe. The often-misunderstood event termed the Big Bang is philosophically pivotal and physically unique. The precision of the explosion continues to amaze all who study the remnants of these early moments. The initial energy was great enough to guarantee the continued expansion of the universe, yet small enough to allow the production of stars from which came most of the elements. The four basic forces we see today (gravity, electromagnetic, weak and strong) were initially merged, but within minutes morphed into distinct, properly sized forces necessary for a purposeful universe. Only three elements were produced in significant quantities during the initial moments, but the basic forces made it possible for stars to form and planetary systems to develop. We can scarcely grasp that this amazing cosmos has produced from stardust one planet suitable for you and me — earth! This ‘just right’ cosmos speaks first of a designer; second of an astounding created order; and third of the earth and its contents.
There are stringent requirements for a universe that can produce and sustain life. If any of the four basic forces were slightly larger or smaller in strength, our carbon-based life would not exist. Computer programs used to model the cosmological data clearly show the intricate nature of these “finely tuned” forces needed to support life. Today much effort is devoted to the search for planetary systems that might indicate a second earth. To date, around 150 such prospects have been identified, but none poses the right requisites congenial for life. While such searches are of interest, we do know that intelligent, self-reflecting life elsewhere in the cosmos is not a certainty. Not long ago, mankind desperately wanted the earth to be at the center of the perceived cosmos, only to be shown that we live in a fairly typical part of the galaxy not specially located. Now, however, with a modern cosmic viewpoint, is it too anthropocentric to view the entire universe as special, designed and developed by God and intended for humans?
Humankind has been given two immeasurable gifts from God. We enjoy the gift of having an advanced life-form, a rare commodity in cosmic space. And we have seen the appearance of the Son of God, the One who created the cosmos and sustains it, on this earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
To realize that this gifted earth is a rare speck in space should evoke great humility. The divine plan that created the cosmos included humans and enabled them to acknowledge consciously and deliberately the wonder of God’s great works. Humans appear to be the only creatures capable of such thoughts.
The universe is full of grandeur, wonder and inspiration for worship. A viewpoint that sees God in the cosmos produces feelings of awe, appreciation and humility. But more importantly, how may a cosmic viewpoint impact 21st century Christian life? I believe there are at least three possibilities.
First, we need to take care of the earth. To be the benefactors of such a gift in this part of the Milky Way should motivate humanity to care for this “spacecraft” called earth. As the population of the earth increases, a “cosmic spacecraft” viewpoint is increasingly necessary to produce a higher level of respect and interdependency for one’s fellow travelers who share the earth’s surface and thin atmosphere. Border disputes, disagreements and wars based on past differences when space was not at a premium must give way to a higher level of mutual respect. This thought is contained in an old Indian adage: “No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves.”
Second, a cosmic viewpoint enables one to see that the entire universe formed by Christ was for Him. For over 13 billion years before He appeared on earth to provide atonement, He apparently took great pleasure in what He created. When one realizes that the whole universe is necessary for a human to exist, then some of the grandeur of the larger physical creation begins to unfold. To be human and have the ability to recognize from whence one has come is unique. Rocks, trees and animals do not possess this attribute of being able to say “thank you” to their Maker.
Third, when you look at the night sky, realize that this universe was initiated by God’s word and is sustained by His action through the four basic forces which act within very narrow limits, thereby enabling conscious life to exist. Such a Christian view-point runs directly counter to current atheistic writers who strain for “parallel universe” alternatives to the present universe which bears the marks of a carefully crafted design. A Christian cosmic viewpoint provides a vastly superior framework to undirected naturalism and enhances one’s appreciation for the multitude of God’s gifts directed to this universe and to those who are fortunate to be able to acknowledge their Maker.
Several years ago, one of the great professors of nuclear physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Victor Weiskopf, wrote a scientific paper outlining some of the main features of the early developing universe. His paper was based on the work of nuclear physicists who had studied the processes of the early universe and of the interiors of stars. His perspective, based on years of study, enabled him to explain the main scientific features of the developing cosmos. At the end of his paper he stated: “It hits us in the heart. The origin of the universe can be talked about not only in scientific terms but also in poetic and spiritual language, an approach that is complimentary to the scientific one. Indeed the Judeo-Christian tradition describes the beginning of the world in a way that is surprisingly similar to the scientific model.” At the conclusion of his paper, Weiskopf quoted Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God …”.
