We live in what scientists call the UNIVERSE.
Of course, we live on planet earth, with our own little solar system and in the Milky Way galaxy and, to be sure, we the earth are part of something much larger, unbelievably larger which we call the universe.
The definition of universe is most interesting:
ALL EXISTING MATTER AND SPACE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE
All existing matter. Everything there is. Substance. Tangible things. And the universe comprehends all of the space around matter, all of it. The dictionary says that all of this existing matter and space considered as a whole is:
THE COSMOS
Whether we use the term universe of cosmos, all that there is, is really incomprehensible to the little human mind, don’t you think? All human minds, not just yours and mine, but even brilliant men like Einstein, Hawkins and modern day physicists Alan Guth and Andre Linde. These brilliant men and women, physicists and astronomers can know much more about the universe than you or I, but do not begin to understand or comprehend all of it. It really is wondrous to behold and comprehend, is it not, assuming we even bother to do that. We seem so caught up with cellphones and social media that some have probably never bothered to look at more of what is through a telescope, much less comprehend how the universe happened and WHO made it happen.
The universe is believed to be at least 10 BILLION LIGHTYEARS IN DIAMETER and in that incomprehensible space, the universe contains a vast number of galaxies. Not only does it exist as it is, but the universe continues to expand since its creation. The next time you look into the heavens and see the stars, remember how much more there is out there, up there and beyond, more than our finite minds can ever begin to comprehend.
The human mind thinks in terms of origins. If something, anything exists, that something must have been created. Someone or something must have made it happen. The concept of CAUSE is at work and with regard to the universe, we think in terms of there being a:
FIRST CAUSE
Which created all things, all matter, all space and all time. It is fascinating to contemplate who or what is that first cause.
Most physicists and astronomers believe in what they term:
THE BIG BANG
That was a nuclear explosion, in simple terms, hundreds of millions of times more powerful than any nuclear explosion with which we are familiar which scattered the matter that existed throughout space and formed, among other things, our universe and so many more. It was the so-called initial act of creation, birthed all existence including all that we know and where we live. Scientists believe that the Big Bang occurred some 14 billion years ago, 14 BILLION YEARS AGO, a time spent utterly incomprehensible. But scientists do not know who or what made the Big Bang happen, THE CREATOR OF CREATION and they wrestle with that today, and perhaps always will. They and we look for explanations, understanding first with scientific explanations, hard evidence so to speak, and as well through religious and philosophic interpretations, hoping to know how the universe was created, by whom it was created, and perhaps most importantly why it was. Most doubt we human beings will never know for sure because the more we know, the more there is we do not know. The ORIGIN of the universe is perhaps the most compelling question mankind can ask. As one astronomer said:
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BIG BANG OR BEFORE IS AN IRRESISTIBLE QUESTION, BUT ONE THAT FOR NOW AS SCIENCE LIES IN THE REALM OF THE PURELY SPECULATIVE
But now, scientists believe that there is something more than universe, the one we presumably know. In fact, say astronomers, there may be many universes, perhaps even thousands, or millions of universes, the possibility of which has led them to invent the term:
MULTIVERSE
The existence of innumerable and unfathomable numbers of universes. Cosmology then expands the potentiality of matter and space and recognizes that what is constantly expands, exists beyond our comprehension and term the EVER-EXPANDING the inflationary universe which as a result of that inflation invents:
THE MULTIVERSE
The potentiality of millions more universes.
Physicists and astronomers continue to discover. There is now a new COLLIDER, the world’s most powerful telescope located in Geneva, Switzerland. This unbelievable instrument allows scientists to see so much more deeply into space and identify new matter. In fact, recently, seven alien worlds about the size of earth have been discovered orbiting a tiny star nearby to our earth, never before observed. Six of those seven alien worlds appear warm enough that liquid water, necessary for life, could exist on their surfaces. This tiny star the scientists called Trappist-1, the Dwarf Star, which is located about 40 lightyears from earth in the constellation Aquarius. The discovery of Trappist-1 and the seven earth-sized planets orbiting it adds to mounting evidence that billions of such worlds may exist in the Milky Way galaxy, BILLIONS. For us, the common man, and perhaps even for astronomers, comprehending what is and what it means becomes perhaps even more incomprehensible. What is is unlimited, infinite, inflationary: ever expanding, worlds and worlds without end. Incredible is it not?
Inevitably, theology and religion enter the debate. Surely, say theologians and philosophers, there must be a:
HIGHER INTELLIGENCE
Responsible for the creation of all that exists, a first cause which we and our theoretical physicists can never really know or understand. Many such astronomers and physicists are willing to consider, even debate first cause, that is philosophy and religion along with the hard evidence of science in order to have a complete understanding of what is and WHO made it happen, the:
ORIGINATOR OF THE BIG BANG
Such scientists have even debated the laws of physics on the one hand with GOD’S HAPPINESS, if in fact a true first cause could have such an emotionality. Physicists have also discussed the possibility of a physical CONSCIOUSNESS FIELD. Perhaps, they wrestle with the analogy of our very own human consciousness to that of the God of Universe’s having in fact some kind of similar consciousness.
And some such physicists have even speculated about the QUANTUM MECHANICS of the Big Bang which might indicate the possibility of:
LIFE AFTER DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Fascinating stuff, don’t you think? Ultimate questions in search of answers.
And yet another ultimate matter. Said one astronomer:
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF THEORY THAT APPLIES TO THE ERA BEFORE THE BIG BANG. THEORIES ABOUND BUT IT SEEMS SO DIFFICULT FOR PHYSICISTS AND ASTRONOMERS TO USE THE WORD:
GOD
As first cause, Creator of all things, much less a God we can know. So many simply just can’t take that LEAP OF FAITH and recognize a God-Creator, much less a personal one who in fact can be known.
So, there is that era before the Big Bang, more than 14 billion years ago. The fundamental question is what was that era like, what happened before and more importantly WHO OR WHAT made it happen.
Then comes the Big Bang.
The force of which scattered all matter and formed all universes:
THE MULTIVERSE
How did that happen and who did it?
In the midst of all that creation activity, ultimate origins at work comes our very own universe, one of many. Our cosmos began. Galaxies and constellations were formed. Our solar system was originated. And planet earth was originated and this Big Bang explosion produced our sun, our moon and our fellow planets like Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn among others. From origins infinitely incomprehensible, occurring billions upon billions of years ago, there came into being a specially formed mass of matter we know as:
PLANET EARTH
Where life as we know it began, where we so-called human beings were originated. In that vast series of ORIGINS, creations, expansions, from an inflationary universe, there came life, our life, YOU AND ME. Planet earth, the life we know and you and me were part of the creative acts of the ORIGINATOR of all things. We call that originator:
THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE
So, here we are, all of us humankind. Here we are in space and time, with a special form of life given to this planet earth and to us by the God-Creator of our universe. We are some kind of end result of this creation, GOD’S CREATION, here we are. We are left to ask the question:
CAN WE KNOW THIS GOD-CREATOR-ORIGINATOR? CAN WE?
Can we know GOD by evidence, hard scientific evidence, observable, testable, rational? Many scientists think we can at least to the point where we recognize a First Cause, a higher intelligence. Some, a growing number of them, that we can theologically know this God, that the consciousness, the personality, the so-called consciousness-field which existed before the Big Bang and now exists in us, can allow us to know this God, relate to Him and be one with Him now in this life and even life after death and resurrection. What fascinating possibilities, don’t you think? Perhaps all of these originations, these creations, this God-Creator at work culminated for us in the birth, life, and death and resurrection of:
JESUS CHRIST
Perhaps all that is can be summarized, ultimately fulfilled in the Christ of Glory, the Cosmological Christ. He then and all that He is and represents is the key, the tie to this Great Creator. To know Him, the Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ of Glory is to know the great originator, the God of the Universe, this God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ultimate knowledge and ultimate understanding of the world’s greatest cosmological questions. EASTER IS THE ANSWER!
Be full of joy as you celebrate Easter and all that it means next week for it answers all of the questions about the era before the Big Bang, the Big Bang itself, and everything, EVERYTHING which happened thereafter.
My dear Aunt Esther Eden, a loving poet at heart wrote these words:
I walk at night beneath majestic skies
And know behind them is a God all-wise
Who pinned all stars each in its lonely place
And wrapped them each in its very own special space
She went onto proclaim this God as so wonderful saying so beautifully:
OH LORD MY GOD
HOW WONDERFUL THOU ART
HOW WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL THOU ART
And the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is indeed that very wonderful, loving Creator. Be joyful, amazed, wondrous, thankful especially at this Easter time but always knowing and believing that you can have a personal relationship with the God of the Universe, the very first cause, the higher intelligence, the author of the Big Bang, the Creator of millions and millions of universes, the originator of:
THE MULTIVERSE
For this loving wonderful God is indeed:
GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!