One of the greatest mistakes I see people committing is the idea that one has to understand everything about a topic to believe in it. So many people of faith feel inadequate because they don’t understand, or, in fact, read, much of Scripture. It can be daunting and a bit scary, so they don’t even try. Or they read it all and believe it all to be perfect, as if that kind of understanding is available to any of us. Even the most intelligent and well-trained theologians – no offense – don’t understand all of it. I have been told by rabbis that when they read the Torah, they interpret it anew each time, seeking new understanding. A perfect way to think of a God who is still speaking.
The same can be said for science; anyone who knows me knows that I am not a sciency person – I leave that to my wife and others who are. I really try to get it, but I often end up nodding my head in agreement while thinking about what I’ll have for lunch. This doesn’t mean that I throw it away; on the contrary, I listen to the experts and accept their explanations as real. I also know that science is also an art, constantly changing as new information comes available. This is what was most frustrating to me during the pandemic; deniers expected perfect answers from the very beginning, not trusting in the process. Scientific inquiry, like life, consists of far more failures than successes. It is failure that brings about success, like a one-year-old trying to walk. They will fall many times before they can move across the room.
You don’t have to believe, or even accept, everything about God to believe in God. There are many things I struggle with in Scripture, and I admit that freely. And while some faiths excuse that lack of knowledge by calling it a “mystery”, I just shrug my shoulders and try again. I don’t have to understand something like evolution to believe it is real; I consider it, wonder about it, and move on with my life. Neither science nor God exist based on what I am able or willing to believe. And yet, they will always continue to be real to me. To admit we don’t and can’t know everything frees us to learn more. To deny that either science or God exist because we don’t understand all of it is to stop growing as people. To be human is to wonder and to be open to new things. Embrace awe in both – it might change your life.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for these magnificent minds, and help us to use them more every day. Amen.
Today’s art is from the James Webb Space Station, 2022.