We are Stardust

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. – Genesis 1:1-3

http://www.wimp.com/astoundingfact/

Twentieth century science completely rewrote the story of our universe and our understanding of creation. Today, science generally accepts that our entire universe began with a massive explosion that took place some 14billion years ago. Authors such as Judy Cannato call this the beginning of God’s self-communication. In her book 'Radical Amazement' (2006) she observes how through God’s grace stars were born and galaxies were formed. Nor does she limit God’s participation to the single act of creation. In fact we are told that the Holy One was present as supernova explosions scattered bits of cosmic matter throughout the universe and forces like gravity began to draw matter together in relationship. God was not identical to these developments, but neither was God separate from them. Michael Dowd in his book, 'Thank God for Evolution' (2008) describes the same process in this way: Ancestral stars are part of genealogy. We can now feel a familial bond to the heavens. Every atom in our bodies, other than hydrogen, was forged in the fiery belly of a star who lived and died and recycled itself back to the galaxy before our own star, the Sun, was born.

Our earth was born more than 4 billion years ago. Half a billion years followed before life in the form of primitive cells appeared having gradually evolved from the perfect mix of celestial fire and gasses, or STARDUST. And we are now learning that God’s involvement in creation or evolution is still ongoing. While time may fail us to observe evolution on earth in its slow progress science has discovered that the Universe continues to expand and Galaxies are racing further apart. These amazing discoveries have been made only within the last one hundred years. Prior to the nineteen twenties it was assumed that the universe existed only of the planets and stars within the Milky Way. Today we recognize that the lights we see as stars can actually be other galaxies which are now estimated in the billions!

Seeing the traditional story of creation in this Light we may begin to  realize slowly that we are indeed made of stardust and therefore know  that the Light of God does indeed dwell deep within us and all of creation. For the skeptics consider the following  from the biblical story of creation. Genesis tells us that in the beginning, or the first day, God commanded, "Let there be light" yet we are told subsequently  that light only appeared on the fourth day when God issued, “Let lights (our Sun, moon, stars, etc.?) appear in the sky to separate day from night . . . “. Thus, from where did the Light on the first day appear as mentioned in Genesis 1:1-3?

"I am the light of the world.  Whoevever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.  John 8:12

The significance of the term ‘Light’, which appears more than 270 times in the bible, remains very important in my life. When I am in darkness, be it through depression, anxiety, fear or worry the absence of God’s light is not always obvious. Independence and arrogance are the stumbling blocks that prevent me from climbing out of my pain. I recall a prayer or reflection many years ago during a particular strong period of depression. In my desperation; I asked (wrote) God to help me out of this threatening and fearful situation. As I wrote the image of being trapped in a totally dark room appeared. In an effort to find the light switch I kept running into hidden pieces of furniture and other obstacles. God then reminded me that stumbling blocks, when exposed to the light, will eventually been seen as building blocks to help us climb out of our pain. All I needed to do was find is the Light switch!

Finally, Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology (2004) looking at the question of ‘How did it all begin’ invites us to consider an even greater question when he asks “what existed before the Big Bang is of little or no concern to the conventional scientist. I suggest that it is of enormous importance for those among seeking to unravel the meaning of the new evolutionary story of our time, and this includes a growing number of scientist and theologians.”

Our story of Creation in the Christian context is of course based on the Book of Genesis. Other older cultures and succeeding religions share similar stories as well as variations of creation based on legend and tradition.  Often the drama is told against this backdrop which has remained virtually unchanged for generations. But as I have indicated in this blog a dramatic change took place beginning with Galileo and more significantly within the last one hundred years as cosmic discoveries revealed a completely different story as I attempted to explain  in this blog. Now for the good news or new story – the Creator is revealing itself in a new and dynamic way.    In fact, this shift or change of view will have a radical impact on how we relate to one another, our planet and more importantly to God.  

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEZWtrvxyow&NR=1

http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/from-big-bang-to-us-made-easy-video_e20469166.html

On Creation

Whenever I have an opportunity to observe the night sky, with all its heavenly bodies, I am overcome with complete awe and wonderment. At such time one cannot deny the inescapable presence of its Creator. Who else could have created such unimaginable magnificence?

Several years ago I came across the book ‘Radical Amazement’ by Judy Cannato spiritual director at St. Joseph’s Centre near Cleveland, Ohio. This brilliant & gifted author is able to translate difficult scientific terms, about the origins of the universe, by fusing together, science and spirituality, in a truly radically amazing way. The accompanying contemplation exercises in Cannato's book will greatly enhance anyone's understanding and role in our ever expanding universe.

Here follow some excerpts from her book:

Science tell us the universe came into being in a flaming cosmic explosion that gave birth to space and time. All matter that has ever existed – was formed in a single spectacular cosmic event or the ‘Big Bang’ estimated to have taken place some 13.7 billion years ago.

The timing of all this birthing is nothing short of miraculous. If the unfolding had been a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of one percent faster, the cosmic material would have been flung too far apart for anything significant to happen. If, however, the unfolding had been a trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of one percent slower, the universe would have collapsed in upon itself.

Ten thousand years after the Big Bang most of the energy in the universe was in the form of radiation. For the next three hundred thousand years the universe continued to expand and cool until the amount of energy in the form of radiation and the amount of energy in the form of matter were about equal. This made possible the next major development. Three hundred million years after the Big Bang the first stars and galaxies emerged, forming clusters as the universe continued to expand.

The next phase of the unfolding of the universe was extraordinarily turbulent. Great galactic collisions took place, setting off cosmic explosions of gas. Some galaxies survived, while others did not. Some continued to create stars, while others did not. It was in these first stars that the primary elements were formed: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, copper, silver, silicon, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, and iron—all the elements that are components of life today.

The flaring forth continued. Stars aged, then died in great supernova explosions. A supernova is the death eruption of a star, which happens in a dazzling cloud of light, followed by a gradual fading. We know from seeing images from the Hubble Space Telescope just how brilliant these supernovas are—radiating more light than an entire galaxy of stars. The birth of our own solar system—Sun, Earth, our neighbor planets and planetoids—came as the result of a supernova explosion that occurred about five billion years ago.

What a beginning! What a miracle that we are here, both as a species and as persons. Since all the matter that now exists was formed in that initial bursting forth of life, we must each be formed out of the primordial dust that became stars. Our true moment of birth cannot be measured in decades. We are 13.7 billion years old! We carry within us the very energy that fashioned the stars. We carry within us the evolution of the elements, eons of development that resulted in who we are today. We carry within us the fire that flared forth into life. As Bede Griffiths, a Benedictine monk, (d. 2009) put it,

The explosion of matter in the universe billions years ago is present to all of us. Each one of us is part of the effect of that one original explosion such that, in our unconscious, we are linked up with the very beginning of the universe and with the matter of the universe from the earliest stages of its formation. In that sense the universe is within us.

Energy in the form of matter has been developing, re­arranging, reconstituting, evolving, growing, transcending since the beginning of space-time itself. Think of this: In its latent potential, the embodied person that you are at this very moment—all the constituents that would eventually come together into the person that is you—was present in the Big Bang.

We believe not only that God initiated the creation event, but that divine presence flows in and through the experience of ongoing creation.

Evolution, rather than degrading or diminishing humanity, asserts that we are part of a magnificent whole that consists of a vast web of relationships, an organic and cosmic body that evokes pure wonder.

Over the last four billion years, life on Earth has developed from primordial cells that did not even have a nucleus into Homo Sapiens. The water in your body contains primordial hydrogen formed in the first seconds of the Big Bang. The carbon atoms that form you came together as a result of the explosion of a supernova. The concentration of salt in your body matches the concentration of salt in the ancient seas. Your cells are direct descendants of unicellular organisms that developed billions of years ago. You have a reptilian brain and are able to walk courtesy of vertebra that developed 510 million years ago. You see because chlorophyll molecules mutated so that, like plant leaves, your eyes can capture the light from the Sun. And in your mother's womb your tiny body repeated the whole process of multicellular life on Earth, beginning as a single cell and then developing greater and greater complexity. It is nothing short of spectacular! What a cause for celebration!

This radical amazement did not escape our ancient biblical authors:

God existed before the universe. God exists totally apart from the universe, and yet can be everywhere within it. (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17)

Time has a beginning. God's existence precedes time. (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2)

Jesus Christ created the universe. He has no beginning and was not created. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)

God created the universe from that which cannot be detected with the five senses. (Hebrews 11:3)

After His resurrection Jesus could pass through walls in His physical body, an evidence of His extra-dimensionality. (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:26-28)

God is very near, yet we cannot see Him, a further evidence of His extra-dimensionality. (Exodus 33:20; Deuteronomy 30:11-14; John 6:46)

God designed the universe in such a way that it would support human beings. (Genesis 1, 2; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 38; Psalm 8:3; Isaiah 45:18)

For some more truly amazing facts, please paste the following u-tube video on your server's web page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8wxS_nK1IM

A Gallup Poll on the eve of Darwin's Feb. 12, 2009 birthday showed that only four in 10 Americans accept the theory of evolution, while 25 percent reject it - and 36 percent have no opinion either way.