When I Look to the Heavens

    If you’re seeing this post a little bit late, it’s probably because of my proximity to a gravitational anomaly, which has slowed time for me, while time runs faster for you.

    I saw Interstellar the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful cinematic excursion into the cosmos, set in a fascinating near future. It was hard sci-fi, which to the best of its ability, wove current ideas of physics into an intriguing plot carried by vibrant, realistic characters. (In other words, I recommend it.)

   Going into the movie, however, I could already guess the theme: we as humans are masters of our own destiny. Humanity will continue to better itself through evolution, and is the ultimate source of meaning in the universe. I was right. It was a story driven by humanism.

    How did I see that coming? Well, it was a hard sci-fi space epic. In today’s world, scientific progress, space exploration, and stories about them, are equated with a humanistic worldview.

    The modern era has seen reality split in two. There is the sacred reality- religion, morality, and the like- and the secular reality- things like science, and discovery. The church was kicked into the sacred reality box, and has frankly been quite content to stay there.

    Humanistic scientists, however, have not held up their end of the deal. They are looking out into the universe for answers to the big questions of life. They are not staying in their secular box. That’s because reality doesn’t come in two separate pieces. Truth is truth.

    Take, for example, the Rosetta project, which recently landed a small probe called Philae on the surface of a moving comet called Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The multinational group of  scientists who sent out Rosetta are hoping to find data concerning their hypothesis that all life on earth was seeded by a comet.

    People aren’t researching, experimenting, and exploring just to crunch numbers, or use tax dollars. They want answers about the meaning of life.

    Why should we as Christians care? We already know the ultimate answer. And that is exactly why we should care. I have a twofold reason for this answer.

    First, we know from Romans 1 that there are things that can be learned about God from His creation. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

    When we look into the sky, or into an atom, we can learn more about our smallness, and God’s greatness. We can get a glimpse into the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice for us by seeing His handiwork in a subatomic particle, or a supernova.

    

Secondly, we should care about the exploration of the world around us, because people who don’t know God are looking there for meaning and purpose. When we get involved, we can show the world that the answers they are looking for are found in the creator of everything!

    

So, let’s unabashedly pursue the knowledge of God through every avenue in which He reveals Himself. Let’s look forward to the findings of the Orion Mars missions, because our God is great, and He made Mars! Let’s speculate about the what-ifs in story and art, because our God is vast, and glorious, and mysterious. Let’s turn the tables so that society stops assuming that every space movie is a hot mess of humanism, and every comet lander is looking for our amino acid ancestors.

    Most of all, let us look to the heavens, and fall down and worship our king. Let us humble ourselves as King David did, when he wrote: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,what is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Staring at the Sun

Hey all! I wrote this post as a reflection on a book I read for school called Conformed to His Image, by Kenneth Boa. It’s a great read, and it taught me a lot. I recommend it! These are a few of the things I learned…

     I’ve been told my whole life not to stare at the sun, but I still do. I don’t literally stare at the sun, of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to see. I do, however, perform the mental equivalent of staring at the sun when my puny, human brain tries to wrap itself around the concept of eternity. I hear the charge in Colossians 3 to “set your mind on things above”, and take it as a call to completely understand what my life will be like after death. In my current state, I can’t imagine anything without an end, so the thought of eternity can be blinding and paralyzing. The question remains, however. How do I “set my mind on things above”? Through the book Conformed to His Image, by Kenneth Boa, I learned that pursuing God is meaning enough for my life now, and throughout all of eternity.

  In 2003, the Hubble telescope photographed galaxies over 13 billion light years away. Some of these galaxies contained eight times as many stars as the Milky Way galaxy, defying current physical theories by their sheer size. God knows every one of the stars in those galaxies by name.  In 1968, Physicists discovered that the proton, one of the three particles that makes up the atom, is itself a composite particle. They observed an even smaller particle called a quark, which makes up both protons and neutrons.  In the scientific world, the quark was groundbreaking and revolutionary. God, however, knew about these incomprehensibly small particles since the beginning of time, when he spoke them into being. He transcends everything that we can see and that we know exists. Our God is one, but also three persons. From His character flow virtues like love, faithfulness, holiness and truth. Without Him, morality would have no foundation, and therefore, no substance. As Kenneth Boa reminds us, “Ultimate reality is not the cosmos, or a mysterious force, but an infinite and loving person” (pg 153). In short, God is wholly other. He is infinite. His understanding and knowledge literally have no end.

    Though we are not infinite, our souls are created to learn and seek after God. When He made humanity, He made us intellectual, emotional, and volitional, like Himself. We are meant to relate to Him on each of those levels. Only when we relate to Him are we truly whole on each of those levels. This is one of the most incredibly, ineffably beautiful things about God. This is one of those concepts that we will forever be learning about and trying to understand more fully. Boa defines this mystery well, “He [God] has designed to seek intimacy with the people on this puny planet, and has given them great dignity and destiny” (pg 29). Not only did God create us, He also knows us, and fulfills us. Ingrained in our nature is a longing for the truth. God- the God who created the smallest subatomic particle, and the largest supernova- offers that truth freely to whomever will seek Him. However, there is too much truth for us to learn in our short earthly lives. The learning must go on into eternity. As Tozer says, “There is simply not enough time to think, to become, to perform  what the constitution of our natures indicates we are capable of” (pg 62).

    The application of these facts to my everyday life encourages my soul, and quells my nagging doubts about living in a future without end. In my humanity, I am created to seek and worship God. As long as that is my focus, I will be satisfied not only in my earthly life, but in my entire life. “We will never be bored in heaven, because God’s greatness and knowledge are boundless; the surprises will never end, and the joy will ever increase”, says Boa (pg 161). When I learn about God, I am “setting my mind on things above”. I am investing in the thing that will continue to be the meaning and purpose for my life forever and ever.

    I am immensely encouraged by the idea that I don’t have to understand all of eternity right now- I have all of eternity to learn. I don’t need to stare at the sun; but I do need to live in the light of it. The glow of God’s everlasting plans should guide my every step. Right now, I can set myself on the never-ending path by using my limited capacity to seek God and pursue Him. Then, my life will be like that of the righteous person in Proverbs 4:18, which, “is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day”.  I can’t look at the sun now. I need it to live, but my eyes cannot behold it. As I move from this ephemeral plane into the Perfect Day, I will be changed so that I can comprehend more and more. I’m not there now, but that’s ok. I’ve only just begun. As Boa once again quotes Tozer, “For now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end… To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love…justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart” (pgs 149-150).

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Temporally Transcendent

 This weeks post is just a short musing on what I've been learning recently, summarized in rather nerdy terms. I hope you find it encouraging.

 

Did you know that God is temporally transcendent? That only means that He is outside of time, but it sounds cooler and geekier. Time does not bind Him like it does us. He does not travel through it. He is outside it and above it. Also, He knows everything. Also, He never changes, which means that He always knows everything. It makes sense, because where time does not have effect, there is no change.

Are you catching my drift? Let me elaborate a little more, because this is really cool. God knows every moment of your entire life. Always. Before the second world war, before Julius Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome, before Abraham settled the land that would be Israel, before the Pharaohs ruled over Egypt, before the universe was created, God knew your story.

Your life is precious. Your story is important. It is a mysterious, ancient legend told by the Master Author. Remember that, and I’ll try to remember it too. The things that happen to you and I aren't just random inconsequential; they are part of an epic, historical narrative.

But also keep in mind that though God is temporally transcendent, we are not. We don’t know everything that is going to happen. Our Author is good, and vast, and full of surprises. After all, He created subatomic particles. So don’t lose heart.

There are always possibilities.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Utopia Reaches for Us (Part 2 of 2)

  

 So, the last Wednesday post left us in a pretty bleak place. Humanity is always looking for a perfect society that deep inside we know we were built for. In and of ourselves, however, we just can’t find it. There’s the recap of the bad news.

    Here’s the good news.  God, who authored the ultimate and only utopia, desired to restore us to that utopia. His own Son died for this rescue, and then came supernaturally back to life to complete it.

    You see, when we were striving vainly for a perfect world, and trying to be our own gods, the true God was reaching down to us to fulfill our need for utopia.

    When we allow Him to take hold of our lives, (however that happens to work. I don’t know. Please don’t debate Calvinism with me right now. Maybe later.), We are transferred from the broken tyranny of sin that we sold ourselves into at the fall.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14, NKJV).

    Christ brings us into His restored utopia. Someday, all of us who receive Him will dwell in the  sheer and unbounded perfection of that Kingdom for all eternity. Let me tell you a bit about it:

It will be perfect-

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:3-4).

    That’s right, perfect. All the problems and pain we’ve accumulated since we left Eden will be done away with .

It will fulfill us completely-

“ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).

    It will satisfy all the desires we were originally created to have, and our true life will be revealed!

It  will be all of us-

“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it” (Revelation 21:24).

    Members of every culture will be a part of this heavenly community-male and female. Our favorite humanist sci-fi authors so often long for this. What they don’t realize is that only in God can the best in every culture, and both genders, be brought together. He is the one who created them, after all.

It goes into eternity, and we are part of it right now-

“ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

    We really don’t belong to this messed up world anymore. We were rescued in a time-transcending rescue plan, remember, remember? So, now, we are aliens on earth- members of a truly perfect world trying to spread the truth to other humans. That is cool. In fact, I don’t think there’s anything that can make a geeky heart, (or any heart), happier.

    This all sounds like the ultimate utopia to me. God does it way better than we do. And by His grace, utopia reaches down to us.

Be encouraged! I'd love to hear any questions or comments (other than Calvinism debates), down in the comment section!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

We Reach for Utopia (Part 1 of 2)

 

My window looks out over a sprawling city. It seems like every ten minutes, some sort of emergency vehicle speeds past, the wail of its siren growing louder, until it echoes eerily off the walls of my room, then fades into the distance.

There is something desperately wrong with society. We as humans know this to be true on a fundamental level. We want to fix it. We want to build a perfect civilization.

Thousands of years ago, the people of the world convened together, and decided to build a tower in celebration of the ideal society they’d thought they’d formed, marked by a single ambition, and united by a single language. This tower would be the crowning achievement of their humanist utopia. They thought that by their own power, by their own greatness, they could make their world perfect. They were wrong. (If you aren't catching my drift, read Genesis 11).

Ever since the failure at Babel, the diverse peoples of earth have continued to strive for such a world, one they could take hold of and make perfect. We seem to think there’s something inherent in our race that makes us great, that makes us conquerors, that makes us world-builders, and that if we can only tap into that something, everything will go right for us.

Don’t believe me? Look at our history. Dictators have gone to extremes to bring out the parts of the human race that they think will lead to a golden future. Look at our philosophy. Great thinkers have theorized on the flaws of society, and what people can do to cure them. Look at our stories. Authors dream up utopian cities, and worlds, and federations, quite similar to the dreams of Babel, where human intuition and goodness has solved all our problems. (Sci-fi fans. You know what I mean.)

But like Babel, all our ambitions lie there unfinished. Why? Why would we long so deeply for a perfect world if we can never achieve it?

You see, humanity lived in a perfect world once. The original man and woman were completely united with one another, and fulfilled to the core of their being. And it all centered around their Creator and Sustainer, God.

God was was the author of this original utopia. As His creations enjoyed, walked with, and came to know Him, they achieved the purpose of their existence. They lived in the only truly perfect society.

Then, as we are now too painfully aware of, they fell for the ruse we have been falling for ever since. They believed the lie that they could have perfection based on their own power, knowledge, and nature, apart from God. They were wrong. (This account is in Genesis 1-3).

So, now, here our race is. Delving further into the myth that we are the key to flawless existence. That if we only try hard enough, we can do anything. All the while, we are only one step away from the true answer to all humanity’s problems: our Creator and our Lord.

We reach for utopia in every direction but up.

Yeah, I know it's more depressing than my usual fare, but this is only the first part to the story. Tune in for my next Wednesday post, two Wednesdays from today, and I'll continue with the same theme, but with a more hopeful ending. In the meantime, there will be a top 5 Tuesday article that will probably just consist of geeky fluff. I hope you enjoyed. I hope I made you think. I'd love to hear from you!

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Bible Sidekicks

In general, we associate heroes and sidekicks with comic books and superhero stories, but the roots of these character types run deep in human nature. Discipleship and mentorship are part of God’s plan for human relationships. Logically then, we find some of the best examples of heroes and sidekicks in His word, the Bible.

For the purpose of this list I disqualified the twelve disciples of Jesus, (because really, they would take up the whole list, and then some. And their mentor is kind of unbeatable).

So, all that said, here, in no particular order, is this week’s top 5 list:

5. Joshua (Exodus-Joshua)-

As the faithful young aide of the newborn nation of Israel’s leader, Moses, Joshua had a pure heart, a strategic mind, and a fierce devotion to his leader and his Lord. After serving under Moses for many years, he became the leader of Israel himself, during their period of conquest.  God constantly exhorted him to be courageous, and encouraged him with the promise of His faithfulness. One of the most interesting aspects of his life was the way he dwelt in the presence of the Lord constantly while working with Moses:

“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.” (Exodus 33:11 NKJV)

4. Elisha (1 Kings 19- 2 Kings 13)-

Elisha trained under similarly-named prophet,Elijah, before witnessing his mentor’s ascent to heaven in a flaming chariot. Then, he began his own prophetic ministry, which, in many ways paralleled that of Christ.

3. John Mark (Acts 12, 15; Colossians 4; 2 Timothy 4; Philemon; 1 Peter 5)-

In an amazing, (though subtle in the text), story of redemption, the young man who broke trust by abandoning Paul on a missionary journey became the apostle’s trusted confidant and loyal assistant. Many people believe that the gospel of Mark was written by John-Mark, under the tutelage of Paul.

2. Samuel (1 Samuel 1-25, 28)-

In contrast to the other stories mentioned here, this student ended up teaching his mentor a lesson or two in listening to the voice of God. Despite Eli the priest’s sometimes poor leadership, Samuel served the Lord, and the priest faithfully, and ended up hearing from God

when his teacher could not.  

1. Timothy (Acts 16-20, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Philemon, Hebrews)-

The first Biblical figures we think of when we think of mentorship (other than the twelve disciples, of course), are Paul and Timothy. And rightfully so. Paul found Timothy as a young man, raised in the faith by his mother and grandmother, and took a vested interest in him. Paul served as the Christian father-figure that we generally assume was absent from Timothy’s life. The young disciple experienced amazing works of God during his time with Paul, and became a steadfast servant and leader. Despite his struggles with insecurity and sickness, God used him as a humble, passionate conveyer of the good news, and encourager of churches. The epistle that was most likely Paul’s last was a deeply personal letter to Timothy.

What do you think? Is there anyone I could add? What are your thoughts on Biblical mentorship and discipleship. I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Unleash the Bible Geeks

 

As geeks, we like to know things. Things like pi to as many decimal places as possible, the atomic number of, say, potassium (it’s 19), the opening scroll of all the Star Wars movies, the flavors of subatomic particles, Klingon, Elvish, Pavel Chekov’s starfleet service number, (which is 656-5827B, but shhh, I didn’t tell you that). Memorizing, knowing, it expands our minds, and challenges our neurons. It gives us a springboard for our creativity, and makes us really, really good at trivia games.  Plus, it’s just plain fun.

As Christian geeks, we have a veritably inexhaustible supply of information to learn and have handy. Which name of God conveys His sovereignty? What is the chronological order of the non-Pauline epistles? How many times does Paul say ‘therefore’ in all his letters put together? What is the genealogy from Abraham to Moses?  

All of these are questions that take us deep into the heart of God’s word. So, why is it so much harder to know the Beatitudes than to know the lines to our favorite movies?

(Feeling lame yet? Don’t worry, me too. But that’s not the point of this post, so keep reading.)

Here’s what it is, plain and simple: It’s a spiritual battle.

The Bible is so potent- so powerful- that the spiritual forces of evil don’t want us to know it. It is one of the two offensive components of the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18.) When we decide we want to become someone who wields this weapon powerfully for the Lord, the forces of the world, our own flesh, and the devil will come against us. But the more we fight, by the strength and urging of the Spirit, the more equipped we will become for the fight.

So pray, my fellow Bible geeks, pray. Pray when you don’t want to, when you don’t feel like it. Pray to know the Lord better. Pray for the strength and desire to know His word. And pray for me, too, if you think of it. Pray that God would raise us up as a specialized, spiritual strike force defending and presenting the truth.

Keep praying. Keep fighting. Keep learning Keep memorizing. Keep knowing. Keep doing what you do best.

Geek out.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora