The Wired Word for 8162026 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 8/16/2026 ![rw-book-cover](https://d34adp677peecb.cloudfront.net/static/images/article0.00998d930354.png) 🔗 **Source:** [The Wired Word for 8/16/2026]() > [!note]+ Document Notes > --- > tags: [quantum-physics-and-faith, natural-theology, science-and-religion, divine-action, book-of-nature] > author: The Wired Word > source: The Wired Word (Communication Resources) > reference: https://read.readwise.io/read/01kzxvy3sgjkmy3z5gj836n45s > date created: 2026-08-13 09:00 > --- > > [!info] Generated analysis — not the author's words. Sections below are machine-written > > from the captured source. Only text inside `> [!quote]` blocks is verbatim from the author. > > Do not quote or attribute any other line to the named author. > # 🏷️ Title: Quantum Physics Can Teach Us About God, Say Physicists > ## 🧭 Table of Contents > - [📝 Summary](#-summary) > - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) > - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) > - [📚 References](#-references) > - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) > - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) > - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) > - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) > - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) > - [❓ Questions](#-questions) > - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) > - [💡 Implications](#-implications) > - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) > - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) > - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) > - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) > - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) > - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) > ### 🔗 References > - National Catholic Register interview with Vincenzo Tamma — "Quantum Physics and the Mystery of God's Creation" > - Sensus Divinitatis (Arnold Sikkema) — "Quantum Physics and the Credibility of Christian Faith: A Personal Reflection" > - Genesis 1:1-31, Psalm 19:1-6, Colossians 1:15-23, Hebrews 1:1-9 > - Lisa Miller, *The Awakened Brain* > - Henry Brinton, *Windows of the Heavens* (novel) > ## 📝 Summary > - **What happened.** This week's Wired Word newsletter profiles Catholic physicist Vincenzo Tamma (interviewed in the *National Catholic Register*) and Protestant physicist Arnold Sikkema (writing on the blog *Sensus Divinitatis*), both of whom argue that quantum mechanics — the physics of atoms, electrons, and photons, governed by probability rather than strict determinism — is consonant with, and can deepen, Christian belief in God as Creator. > - **Why it matters.** The piece sits inside a live science-and-religion tradition (natural theology, "two books" theology — nature and Scripture as complementary revelation) rather than inventing a new argument. It matters as a case study in how popular religious media translates technical physics into devotional and apologetic content for a lay Bible-study audience. > - **Key stakeholders.** TWW's Bible-study readership (mainline/evangelical/Catholic small groups); Tamma and Sikkema as the quoted physicist-theologians; TWW's own editorial team (Frank Ramirez, Mary Sells, Henry Brinton, James Gruetzner), who add framing and discussion questions; downstream readers deciding how to relate scientific and religious understanding. > - **Risks and tradeoffs.** The central appeal — quantum indeterminacy as evidence of "openness to divine action" — risks equivocating between physical randomness and theological freedom (detailed in Logical Validity below). Tamma's explicit refusal to claim proof is a genuine safeguard against the harsher god-of-the-gaps failure mode, but the newsletter's title ("Quantum Physics Can Teach Us About God") oversells what the body text actually claims. > - **Bottom line.** This is a natural theology argument (order and intelligibility point toward, without proving, a Creator), not an empirical study and not a strict logical proof. Read as devotional framing for discussion, it succeeds; read as an argument that would persuade a skeptic, it needs more philosophical scaffolding than it provides. > ## 📖 Main Content > - The newsletter opens by asserting that Christians have two sources of revelation: the created universe (nature) and Scripture — "two books" theology, a centuries-old natural-theology move (Bacon, Aquinas), not a novel claim invented for quantum mechanics. > - Tamma's central move: quantum mechanics describes "the deepest level of how nature works," and its laws are part of the "book of nature" that God authored — so studying quantum physics is, on his account, a way of reading God's handiwork at the smallest scale. > - Tamma is explicit that quantum physics **cannot prove God exists**, because God is "beyond the natural world and beyond the scientific method." This is the newsletter's strongest piece of reasoning — it correctly separates *what physics can show* (an intelligible, ordered natural world) from *what physics can demonstrate metaphysically* (a Creator). > - Sikkema's contribution reframes quantum indeterminacy theologically: where classical (Newtonian) physics suggested a "mechanistic," clockwork universe, quantum mechanics' probabilistic character is read as making room for "divine action" and a "relational" view of creation, echoing the Trinity as a model of God remaining in ongoing relationship with the world rather than acting once and withdrawing (the "distant watchmaker" image, explicitly rejected). > - Gruetzner (TWW's physicist-consultant) adds a historical note: Christianity's doctrine of the Incarnation (God entering the material world in Jesus) is credited with legitimizing the empirical study of nature in the first place, by asserting the physical world's order and worth. > - The Bible-study portion pivots from physics to Scripture: Genesis 1 (via Wheaton scholar John Walton, relayed by TWW's Frank Ramirez) reframes *bara* ("create") as bringing order/making a "home" rather than manufacturing raw matter — a functional, not material, reading of creation. Psalm 19 is read as creation's wordless "speech." Colossians 1:15-17 and Hebrews 1:1-3 are read christologically: Christ as the one through whom, and by whom, "all things hold together." > ### 🗒️ Notes > - Not a transcript; no timestamps apply. Dense notes below, organized by argument thread rather than paragraph order. > - **Physics claim vs. theological claim, kept distinct by Tamma:** quantum mechanics is probabilistic and describes atomic/subatomic behavior (a physics claim); Tamma argues this probabilistic, ordered structure is *consistent with* and can *point toward* a Creator (a philosophical/theological claim) — but he does not conflate the two into "quantum mechanics proves God," which is the newsletter's most careful moment. > - **The "two books" framing** (nature and Scripture as non-contradictory because both are authored by God) is the newsletter's load-bearing theological premise; everything else (Tamma's, Sikkema's, and Gruetzner's comments) is an application of it to quantum physics specifically. > - **Sikkema's indeterminacy-as-openness move** is the newsletter's most theologically ambitious and least scrutinized claim — see Logical Validity for why it risks equivocation between "physically undetermined" and "theologically open to God's action." > - **The Genesis/Walton material** is a separate, well-established strand of biblical scholarship (functional cosmology, ancient Near Eastern context) that does not depend on the quantum-physics argument at all — it would stand on its own even if the physics claims were removed. Its inclusion here is thematic (both are framed as "God's order") rather than logically connected to Tamma/Sikkema. > - **Fiction excerpt (Henry Brinton's novel):** a Methodist pastor debates a pagan/witch character about nature's "power" and "spirit" — included as a discussion prompt contrasting Christian and pantheist framings of nature's energy, not as an argument in itself. > ## 📚 References > - [Quantum Physics and the Mystery of God's Creation (National Catholic Register, via TWW link)](https://read.readwise.io/read/01kzxvy3sgjkmy3z5gj836n45s) — interview with Vincenzo Tamma; original tracked link redirects through SendGrid, title given verbatim from the source. > - Sikkema, Arnold. "Quantum Physics and the Credibility of Christian Faith: A Personal Reflection." *Sensus Divinitatis* blog. > - Miller, Lisa. *The Awakened Brain* — cited for the neuroscience-of-spirituality angle in the discussion questions. > - Brinton, Henry. *Windows of the Heavens* — TWW team member's novel, source of the pagan/Christian dialogue excerpt. > - Dear Class Members, While physics might not seem to have much in common with the Bible, a Catholic physicist named Vincenzo Tamma believes that quantum mechanics can point us to God the Creator and help us to understand the world of nature. This installment of *The Wired Word* will not require scientific training, but it will reveal the ways in which quantum physics can help us to make sense of our world, and to grow in faith and understanding. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **Quantum Physics Can Teach Us About God, Say Physicists** ***The Wired Word*** **for the Week of August 16, 2026** **In the News** The study of our world at the smallest atomic and subatomic levels is called quantum physics or quantum mechanics. This branch of science focuses on the fundamental building blocks of the universe, including atoms, electrons and photons. Instead of following predictable rules, quantum mechanics relies on probabilities, and it supports new technologies such as quantum computers and secure communications. While it might seem far from the world of the Bible, quantum physics can help us to understand the truth about our world and enable us to grow closer to God the Creator. Such science can help Christians to "think about how God made the world," said Catholic physicist and professor Vincenzo Tamma, "because it describes the deepest level of how nature works." In a recent interview in the *National Catholic Register*, he explained that quantum mechanics gives us fundamental "insights into nature, the way God willed it and has ordered it." No coursework in physics is required to understand these connections. Instead, Christians can begin by seeing that God gave humanity two sources of revelation: the created universe (nature) and the written word (Scripture). Nature is an open book available to all people everywhere, communicating without written pages or human language. Because God authored both nature and Scripture, the truths found within the physical world and the Bible will not contradict each other. "The laws of physics," said Tamma, "and especially the quantum laws -- are part of the 'book of nature,' and God is the one who gives those laws." Can quantum physics prove that there is a God? No, it cannot, said Tamma, "because God is beyond the natural world and beyond the scientific method, even the laws of quantum physics." But the laws of nature, and especially the quantum laws, make sense of the natural world and point us to a higher order of reality -- a Creator God. "That is why many physicists have spoken with awe and wonder about the universe," he reflected. Quantum physics "shows that creation is intelligible, yet still ultimately points beyond itself to God." Arnold Sikkema, a Protestant physicist and professor, wrote on the blog *Sensus Divinitatis* that quantum physics "has opened up new ways of thinking about the world that resonate deeply with Christian thinking." While quantum mechanics does not prove the creeds of the church, it does not undermine them. "In fact," he said, "it invites us to see creation as more mysterious, more relational, and more open to divine action than the mechanistic worldview of classical physics ever allowed." Tamma sees "a real need, in both society and the Church, for scholars to bring together different kinds of knowledge -- especially quantum science, philosophy and theology." He wants to be part of a community of scholars, driven by a search for truth, "who can do rigorous research together, remain people of faith, and help one another understand reality, God and creation more deeply." Quantum physics can even help to bring people to Christian faith, according to Tamma. "Science can help us read creation and Holy Scripture more deeply, but it does not put God in a box. God is free, he acts through secondary causes, and he continues to act in creation." Tamma believes that quantum physics can support dialogue "between science and theology by opening people to mystery [and] showing that nature is real, intelligible and ordered for human good -- all of which can point beyond itself to God." In the history of religion, notes TWW consultant and physicist James Gruetzner, "Christianity looked upon God's entering into the material world in Jesus, which made the physical world worthy of study while bringing in a framework of orderliness." Sikkema believes that quantum mechanics reveals the relational nature of reality. He says, "As a Christian, I believe that creation is not a closed system but a dynamic, responsive, and relational reality, one that mysteriously reflects in some way the character of its Creator." Since God is a Trinity -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit in an eternal, divine relationship -- it makes sense that God remains in relationship with the world. "God is not a distant watchmaker who set the universe in motion and then stepped back. Instead, God is intimately involved in sustaining and guiding creation, moment by moment." More on this story can be found at these links: [Quantum Physics and the Mystery of God's Creation.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEUsKbEGAb6YkpG1MpKThm7m3tcUAyoGItvJy0WK7EEgGqDXaTsIJJI6AFipdh9gw09E-2Fy2TdQ7fiqm0xojFNt-2Fb5-2Bl-2F5M8V-2BGYBlxEfaX3KLnH2_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BLLG9USQPH4xejVcoyDihZ-2FNKHSD-2BFNURQlFCWMji0BhQGkPlYcRkuNy3sRZ1zY9k-2Fr9XuXQDMpdbWHQgnHgw237pQ8QDod-2F-2BtqgLIY5usvYFembMs8pmNnRbYotA-2FJReL5pkARpnfJE-2F2-2FtJm493GcD2VH8aqLImEYzDNxPNqgcC-2FjesIgdkgR-2Bb1Nj8O1AWxYoRNDVxjo8G1JqWZkuGOU-3D) [*National Catholic Register*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEUsKbEGAb6YkpG1MpKThm7m3tcUAyoGItvJy0WK7EEgGqDXaTsIJJI6AFipdh9gw09E-2Fy2TdQ7fiqm0xojFNt-2Fb5-2Bl-2F5M8V-2BGYBlxEfaX3KrRRb_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BNTcg1vXTv-2B-2BZYy-2FpgBgptNz6pyKfxIfBtOUJtw-2B3tAZY-2FCIHZlaqBbGh-2FJQy-2BSCRqkelY-2BcJxxsuB-2Be-2BWXB4G15HIQSjOacrYf4JgJNOiZtQ01ksZF7XjCiOTfZRjp-2F4gTQ2jGvFNXplhJojJn6h7vk6zkNlPniZ0uKEqGfvMdz9hGVfX9bjIfItxFep-2FDq574lxW8Ri1wlaKQjXx9Kcdk-3D) [Quantum Physics and the Credibility of Christian Faith: A Personal Reflection.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3Dr5kE_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BJa6EXHuKOI8qkkCAmKL9sIaQ0NUasy1NA80XPjUbOqdBdx0C7gSu-2FNV3kRZEJA59B3uyKBLo8ZdB7aXeYfsCS-2Bwa6k0umMUoqzrl0hbyhk5U7MezSWmIznb-2FPqo1HuTgkwUJAXh0lEby6HP74DBULwDawWEtISfBCRBQBo-2BP9ix1CwSU9Q2eNyMB-2FRGn0xhGppXcn35QvOLqd2gO3Q3NbY-3D) [*Sensus Divinitatis*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3DT_Pm_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BOVFbRLCzq4OfH-2FdVJ6Euz4IaRTlvBppwOH9c-2Bt-2B-2FV1xxYWHv-2BYXRIGofhwkms0LfI0gg9WfpXpILHa4mWc-2B3WXh27Fksby6J56pdMImdzCo-2FmUOxoP-2F-2Bginf1WJbB9zcXqY9d5RbV-2FNw3zXQwkhWIiADGhJLu8zBpK6R3-2BVm3PZxfpWytJneVieIMrfROu2pno05IgBZGqkEamf6MCYjr4-3D) **Applying the News Story** Without getting lost in the details of quantum physics, discuss your understanding of God the Creator and his relationship with nature. Share the ways in which your Christian faith and your scientific understandings help you to make sense of the world. Suggest ways in which both approaches can help you to grow in faith and understanding. **The Big Questions** 1. What is your experience with science, gained during your school days and afterward? What value does it have to you, if any? 2. Where do you see evidence that God is the author of both nature and Scripture? What truths can be found in the physical world and in the Bible? How do these truths relate to each other? 3. How does creation point you to God, the Creator, if at all? When, if ever, have you had a religious experience in nature? How do you see God acting in the world, if at all? 4. Why should the search for truth include the perspectives of both science and faith? What can both contribute to a deeper understanding of God, reality and creation? How can the church be supportive of this search? 5. [Physicist Sikkema says](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3D9Nqd_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BBqe-2F9auJTJDmEAoWksxkfgsgCQg7LKw6P-2BDYvLoEsXv35tkvl83sKIHr1ZBnacc9K-2BXCbnXaw0NVA8rzHFvurzU3TodfKlz7kdj84qUAUvm5MLikcpWXjTXHFKI8swynqNLdg4ZiAzEhY7uA35rOFGAB-2FiKLK95GIlx7-2F8PYdHXA-2FSKAr0R5qfrVkdwzC1G6RYiFZUXDAwF5I6vdnCSv5s-3D) that quantum physics "invites us to see the world not as a machine but as a creation: mysterious, beautiful, and reflecting the presence and love of God." How is this true for you, if at all? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **Genesis 1:1-3***When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, 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.* (For context, read [Genesis 1:1-31](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNSwlPa8rLsqzlWab2TSrPcr5Acfz3V-2F48YBJcy7AoT2Pkd83_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BB3Ogy463dHp4k9UVD6rd1-2Fpepm4a-2BD-2F9Ie3ndn5KBuEbLnyc4gMSEWKdI8-2BsfxJ7mz9UYfcx9TtqNt13QN-2B-2FUaJ7VCThRN9kt46dDkLnkCYC-2FS2aK-2FtjpE79xc7BWm0c8IyhjWwKWBbUMBA-2BcHGk9NAIR1GSW9ONJz25RjvoxScUrD-2FHE2dgCsB-2BMtWzq-2Bo02IC5z9GlXJVn7YEYPYoDZo-3D).) TWW Team Member Frank Ramirez is grateful to a Wheaton professor named John H. Walton for pointing out that the first chapter of Genesis does not require us to make a choice between the Bible and science. Instead, we simply need to accept that the writer of Genesis had different assumptions about the world than we do today. Walton challenges us to consider the difference between a "house" and a "home." Some people are very concerned about how to put building materials together to build a house, while others are more concerned about how to make a building home-like. The Hebrew word *bara*, translated in Genesis 1:1 as "create," is more about making a home than constructing a house, he said. It is used more than 50 times in the Hebrew Bible and it is always about bringing order to things. Walton said the word "refers to a divine activity. In scripture God creates, or brings order, to material objects like Jerusalem, but also to grammatical objects like purity." With this understanding, when the Bible says the earth was formless and empty the assumption is that the world was "not lacking matter, but order." The creation story was about making a home, not building a house, he asserted, noting that the seven days of creation conform to the seven days necessary to dedicate the temple as holy space. The creation narrative in Genesis 1 was about consecrating the whole earth as God's home, God's holy space. > **Questions:** What kind of a home was God creating in the first chapter of Genesis? Why is God concerned with bringing order to things? How is this an ongoing concern for God in human life, and in the rest of creation? **Psalm 19:1***The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.* (For context, read [Psalm 19:1-6](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEYsRn6dfakFVAxp1QQdxIDbUx4PwGnElo267QqEGKwq3zMIOC8gDCI-2Fb9zKdKJseX-17_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BGyLnNPoC08-2B8ln8BRWo9z04uWq5Z1stSaDhz-2BgX2-2B81gDg8mq1e2zGiNaKGy-2B4dEPj9h3D4J0tRCnf56zjTN4mTKFClMGr03mdwrKYhQEKfzs9ssYdjemBtBXNVMnsKBGXhfLjDqeye981Hq4OSFBnpoGSYCRUTCvNPhJJwTvTzRVl4R4-2Bzv4nj97XG485Q75FfR1T7zgwfg6HocBiA15w-3D).) The writer of Psalm 19 understood that God was at work throughout the universe, which is why he began by saying that the heavens "are telling the glory of God." This ancient poet, perhaps David, looked up into the heavens and saw the handiwork of God in the sun and moon, the stars and the planets. Some NASA physicists feel the same way today -- they look into space and see beauty and order, not emptiness and chaos. The psalm-writer says that creation speaks to us, but in a strange way -- it does not use words. "Day to day pours forth speech," says the psalm,"and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words ... yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (vv. 2-4). So, how does creation speak to us, if it does not use words? Perhaps through physics and chemistry and the science of life itself. And what is the message of a day that pours forth speech, and a night that declares knowledge? Creation may be telling us that God is good, and that God wants to provide for us -- our Earth is a lush, green island of life in the middle of the cold, lifeless expanse of space. There is plenty of food and resources for billions of people, but only if we share them and take care of them. > **Questions:** How does creation speak to you, if at all? What message does it have for you? Where do you see evidence that God has created a good world, one with resources that can sustain the lives of all? What does this tell you about the nature of God? **Colossians 1:15-17***[Christ]* *is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.* (For context, read [Colossians 1:15-23](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxlG6Mf3tvEVmQijV4y0Lg7NLinVqq1ZQWKCApaZGEIJZ8B-2BQA3f-2FvcmjgjZkoqjmK2-ns_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BG4dCNWE7dup2-2F7474O3j-2FaChKgAXUWZjdNvhMpejKoDg1aBWjqtA-2Flxjj9yoRbc0ultN8IVYTJwpo1ize1hkfdUAnBdleIDiqRF1ud7hdelo6tHFlr1l5vHkPz5uMn-2BDIiDZpUVGUNfCc88oEAJkNAs372R8YYqNFWG8H7m7SzM8SQ43658Y6ZY8gBWR2rd2j7Pxc9O5vT6gUIXfNkgixA-3D).) So often we think of Jesus as a first-century rabbi, walking the dusty roads of Galilee, and that is certainly an important part of who he is. But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul describes him as a cosmic being who has a life and identity that go far beyond the Earth: "image of the invisible God" ... "firstborn of all creation" ... the center of reality. All things came into being through Christ, "visible and invisible," and without him not one thing came into being. He has power over all things, says Paul, "and in him all things hold together." In a world in which we often feel like our lives are being pulled apart, Jesus Christ is acting to "reconcile to [God] all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (v. 20). When we encounter world-shaking challenges, we have access to the greatest power in the universe. So, what happens when we put our trust in Jesus? For starters, Jesus creates instead of destroys. He supports the covenant that God made with the Earth and all living things after the Great Flood, when God promised never again to destroy creation with flooding. Bible instructor Sylvia Keesmaat notices that the phrase "all things" is repeated multiple times in this passage from Colossians -- this "reaffirms God’s commitment to creation, culminating in the reconciliation of all things both *on earth* and in heaven, making peace through the blood of Jesus on the cross." When our world is falling apart, Jesus is working to pull it back together. When our plans go awry, Jesus is creating something new. When we are feeling overwhelmed by sins and shortcomings, Jesus is "making peace through the blood of his cross" (v. 20). Jesus is all about restoration, renewal and forgiveness. He wants to make us right with God and with each other, so that we will be "holy and blameless and irreproachable" (v. 22). Jesus is also the "the head of the body, the church ... in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (vv. 18-19). In addition to being a creator of worlds, Jesus is the head of the community known as the church. And it is in Jesus that we see the fullness of God's powerful love. > **Questions:** What is your understanding of the relationship between Jesus and creation? In your experience, how does he hold all things together? Where do you see Jesus in the life of the church? **Hebrews 1:1-3***Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ...* (For context, read [Hebrews 1:1-9](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfhOLPuUklFplPPD2VWbSPA1HBgXiChyFgBEVZ1jVDX-2BPeRBZY4qqoCpaPLpH9Mz4OixA_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BNPWCk2VD0WvFh9a9npjCbeKqpPAfMscbH-2FggrjggGYJGtxh8jEpRrivP72U-2Bkhk6lqObKcDFKWAmyC6F8y3GT9tD3t65g9-2Bkj44WLoaJK3OcywyExX80ZlKg16eQFD8TfLQhDlqclAdwigQlKeQ2HK-2BeDpL3yYFSPJTq9ay-2FaU4ywvTdTcwjIE3hS5A-2BhmHV1ifaxBMMjR9rMrqCGxCX2s-3D).) The letter to the Hebrews is the first of the General Epistles in the New Testament, a set of letters that were addressed to a general audience, unlike the letters of the apostle Paul. Hebrews was written to Christians who had grown up Jewish, featuring elements that were connected to the ancient sacrificial system of Israel -- including the work of Jesus as a high priest to make "purification for sins." The letter begins by acknowledging that God spoke to Hebrew ancestors long ago "by the prophets," and now God is speaking "by a Son." God's Son Jesus is the "heir of all things," as well as being the one through whom God "created the worlds." Jesus continues to be at work in creation, in particular as the one who "sustains all things by his powerful word." This is an example of the work that physicist Arnold Sikkema attributes to the God who "is intimately involved in sustaining and guiding creation, moment by moment." > **Questions:** How do you experience the involvement of Jesus in the world today? How does he sustain and guide things through his word -- in your personal life, in the life of the church, and in the wider world? **For Further Discussion** 1. In [*The Awakened Brain*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1r49BLAiEJ2R9RwXPswzjc2I5SX-2BR8PGmyj2oETx0g4FARxZaNESXdZDLTbXXZcflSec7DLQOi-2FziVOwtjD4NNa8lv8_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BHUD5H5cnajD3jtNOFt63lpsuK61cnIGDBcYRQnNnXZgoHV4EZH8-2FrhyV3lNUqhNeOvEArV2o7Dz91LDDyWh0zc63HghvLkYD3B40Vxu24cGDZrcJVh-2BnQhvOePk4-2FkTwLYAc6vSc9EN5Krb1xi-2FtDmNKj4tf3FF6XqOdiQQSnWUM5MBCoo2Ea5ByXb2Ph6T2uCY-2FYxGl6pg-2BUoaPCoy2ds-3D), author Lisa Miller draws on clinical experience and research to show that humans are equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. TWW Team Member Mary Sells asks, "Why do we separate our religious selves and our scientific selves? What if we dropped those assumptions and believed that God, Creator of all things, gave us scientific curiosity and the call to faith? Have we been trained to think either/or, with no space for both/and?" Respond. 2. "Natural phenomena like earthquakes and radiation are not inherently bad," [says physicist Arnold Sikkema](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3DkFVY_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BKatSClppDQYpx8wo8rhpwgAGnvfx5fDTKfsW6z6N1yUKt699WBotvwvFCQ6Xpo2-2F4euyh2L8OiMjPxkYc-2B98naEdVoFZ0IFRyPXT6lzDgZLx-2FNoEENdbbxHuIZDBrz8XABYDU7Q9k5ekOlIEt-2F2zIHwxmLO-2BWKc9-2FXjth-2BkypYN-2B5zVZvKlpoGrVE6CS331TQEeR2Z4-2FJTDmUVDczVDsjk-3D); "they are actually part of the good creation, though their effects can be harmful in a broken world. Redemption, then, includes not only spiritual renewal but also the restoration of our relationship with the physical world." How do you reconcile a good Creator with destructive events in nature? What could restore our relationship with the natural world? 3. In TWW Team Member Henry Brinton's novel [*Windows of the Heavens*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qYmDsEvyof4LT2-2B4ehYqrYZ-2BICnKL6-2FaqpvAs2X-2FIEU8rOP3VeM9MBtusmHwKBLYw-3DSrjU_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BADg-2FYu2K0sKykdaYFex8pASNfYJ4zFmDg0l9qUv-2FNlV9Y-2FdNUrMRn7YzJw-2BcVOUNlasMldkwQbIq3uPtJ4uKAgh7p-2BnzX4ljrGIbkbHZYiRxqXPMkumSypBQaaOxKy-2FjjhZ61VV9K9ticLsXP8QmiencDsY-2FPT2kzyrMTfRnNIUvEAYX6-2FjD0B8wikzCi2KymdPIwoJXMuOdqUtGPd58rQ-3D), a Methodist pastor named Harley Camden has an encounter with a witch named John Jonas. In the woods near the Occoquan River, John begins to talk about his pagan view of the world. "There is so much power in nature," John says, "so much energy. We believe that the spiritual world and the physical world are totally interconnected, and that every single thing has a spirit." Harley believes that Christ is the firstborn of all creation, and that all things were created through him. But he keeps this to himself. "In our services, we tap into this power," John continues, "and we embrace it all -- earth, wind, water, fire, sky. You Christians do as much evil as anyone, but you deny it. We have no problem with pride and personal freedom and individualism." "We are certainly sinners," admits Harley. "None of us is all good." "We embrace the evil *and* the good," John continues. "Humans are violent and always have been." What parts of creation do not reflect the handiwork of Christ? What forces in nature should Christians resist? 4. Physicist Vincenzo Tamma says that there is a lot of misleading writing on quantum physics, with some people saying that quantum mechanics is pure chaos and cannot fit with God, when in fact it can help us to understand creation and the Creator. How would you respond to someone disparaging quantum physics? Where do you see value in connecting science to faith? **Responding to the News** Listen carefully when the heavens begin to speak of "the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). Allow science to reveal the order of the created world to you, as it points you to the Creator. Look for opportunities in your church community to grow in both faith and understanding. **Prayer** We thank you, Lord, for being One God in Three Persons, a Trinity of love and power. We praise you for the order and wonder of your world, and for your commitment to being in relationship with all that you have made. Help us to serve you with heart and mind, and to worship you as our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen. ****Copyright 2026 Communication Resources**** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=E2csMrE8QcYQEgLIY4Q6XYY3hjMrgdaiOeBx15AIiypoMDAwdTAwMO5AAUUY3XG3I8hTx86WJ3t1kiYqGwKt2U4zivzkHN9qemmUifrmeD5MijVl9Z3-qBN7tg4Ab9MkJXv9qeRoW6hiA0MFv_FLK-rmSPc76s-cXfyol7aYdNkfAzMJURNXjJEFyHzvcOC4Fm_Vylg6pCrO0AKNAs46V1hj27RgAlrWCzT3VafkULhsZEBaPWV2rqzZC9s9tz7Kbg_d6QPyJ9AnNYDswPOnbVNKJ_jerSwr6xDJMm1xmm-TGKlkQo7lQNcKS_RiE_NTyu5DeV8aNDHB3Kkg7a0tDK3_ouehVp92Wchwv7sUl3mw0Sn8Euu8Rg0k2kUn9nnnlxp9EOt2KpQSxhksXDczxWKfETNal4zJKcyWoDS-5KIPr1u4HWLZe7A3VArubV8-pLXZwLiRAv2-GhfZLzYI27RK3LZamzZ8JR6Vv5e73tSypba_GKmDrZEzDNXpK_UB3V_PzzNRrZ0kvUPImBMffd3Bfd4lJyKdapjtNqcCnV1RPRPn2Wj0457O1GaUECIIwl3r12qEG8qpnXDnx0damfLb_B9q6a7ZzjMjj5Trnw2YbgKqz6qad6DfbGWkEKpwbSR_mJlwLiE=) <div>Dear Class Members, While physics might not seem to have much in common with the Bible, a Catholic physicist named Vincenzo Tamma believes that quantum mechanics can point us to God the Creator and help us to understand the world of nature. This installment of The Wired Word will not require scientific training, but it will reveal the ways in which quantum physics can help us to make sense of our world, and to grow in faith and understanding. <center><img src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/></center> Quantum Physics Can Teach Us About God, Say Physicists The Wired Word for the Week of August 16, 2026 In the News The study of our world at the smallest atomic and subatomic levels is called quantum physics or quantum mechanics. This branch of science focuses on the fundamental building blocks of the universe, including atoms, electrons and photons. Instead of following predictable rules, quantum mechanics relies on probabilities, and it supports new technologies such as quantum computers and secure communications. While it might seem far from the world of the Bible, quantum physics can help us to understand the truth about our world and enable us to grow closer to God the Creator. Such science can help Christians to "think about how God made the world," said Catholic physicist and professor Vincenzo Tamma, "because it describes the deepest level of how nature works." In a recent interview in the National Catholic Register, he explained that quantum mechanics gives us fundamental "insights into nature, the way God willed it and has ordered it." No coursework in physics is required to understand these connections. Instead, Christians can begin by seeing that God gave humanity two sources of revelation: the created universe (nature) and the written word (Scripture). Nature is an open book available to all people everywhere, communicating without written pages or human language. Because God authored both nature and Scripture, the truths found within the physical world and the Bible will not contradict each other. "The laws of physics," said Tamma, "and especially the quantum laws -- are part of the 'book of nature,' and God is the one who gives those laws." Can quantum physics prove that there is a God? No, it cannot, said Tamma, "because God is beyond the natural world and beyond the scientific method, even the laws of quantum physics." But the laws of nature, and especially the quantum laws, make sense of the natural world and point us to a higher order of reality -- a Creator God. "That is why many physicists have spoken with awe and wonder about the universe," he reflected. Quantum physics "shows that creation is intelligible, yet still ultimately points beyond itself to God." Arnold Sikkema, a Protestant physicist and professor, wrote on the blog Sensus Divinitatis that quantum physics "has opened up new ways of thinking about the world that resonate deeply with Christian thinking." While quantum mechanics does not prove the creeds of the church, it does not undermine them. "In fact," he said, "it invites us to see creation as more mysterious, more relational, and more open to divine action than the mechanistic worldview of classical physics ever allowed." Tamma sees "a real need, in both society and the Church, for scholars to bring together different kinds of knowledge -- especially quantum science, philosophy and theology." He wants to be part of a community of scholars, driven by a search for truth, "who can do rigorous research together, remain people of faith, and help one another understand reality, God and creation more deeply." Quantum physics can even help to bring people to Christian faith, according to Tamma. "Science can help us read creation and Holy Scripture more deeply, but it does not put God in a box. God is free, he acts through secondary causes, and he continues to act in creation." Tamma believes that quantum physics can support dialogue "between science and theology by opening people to mystery [and] showing that nature is real, intelligible and ordered for human good -- all of which can point beyond itself to God." In the history of religion, notes TWW consultant and physicist James Gruetzner, "Christianity looked upon God's entering into the material world in Jesus, which made the physical world worthy of study while bringing in a framework of orderliness." Sikkema believes that quantum mechanics reveals the relational nature of reality. He says, "As a Christian, I believe that creation is not a closed system but a dynamic, responsive, and relational reality, one that mysteriously reflects in some way the character of its Creator." Since God is a Trinity -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit in an eternal, divine relationship -- it makes sense that God remains in relationship with the world. "God is not a distant watchmaker who set the universe in motion and then stepped back. Instead, God is intimately involved in sustaining and guiding creation, moment by moment." More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEUsKbEGAb6YkpG1MpKThm7m3tcUAyoGItvJy0WK7EEgGqDXaTsIJJI6AFipdh9gw09E-2Fy2TdQ7fiqm0xojFNt-2Fb5-2Bl-2F5M8V-2BGYBlxEfaX3KLnH2\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BLLG9USQPH4xejVcoyDihZ-2FNKHSD-2BFNURQlFCWMji0BhQGkPlYcRkuNy3sRZ1zY9k-2Fr9XuXQDMpdbWHQgnHgw237pQ8QDod-2F-2BtqgLIY5usvYFembMs8pmNnRbYotA-2FJReL5pkARpnfJE-2F2-2FtJm493GcD2VH8aqLImEYzDNxPNqgcC-2FjesIgdkgR-2Bb1Nj8O1AWxYoRNDVxjo8G1JqWZkuGOU-3D">Quantum Physics and the Mystery of God's Creation. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPEUsKbEGAb6YkpG1MpKThm7m3tcUAyoGItvJy0WK7EEgGqDXaTsIJJI6AFipdh9gw09E-2Fy2TdQ7fiqm0xojFNt-2Fb5-2Bl-2F5M8V-2BGYBlxEfaX3KrRRb\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BNTcg1vXTv-2B-2BZYy-2FpgBgptNz6pyKfxIfBtOUJtw-2B3tAZY-2FCIHZlaqBbGh-2FJQy-2BSCRqkelY-2BcJxxsuB-2Be-2BWXB4G15HIQSjOacrYf4JgJNOiZtQ01ksZF7XjCiOTfZRjp-2F4gTQ2jGvFNXplhJojJn6h7vk6zkNlPniZ0uKEqGfvMdz9hGVfX9bjIfItxFep-2FDq574lxW8Ri1wlaKQjXx9Kcdk-3D">National Catholic Register</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3Dr5kE\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BJa6EXHuKOI8qkkCAmKL9sIaQ0NUasy1NA80XPjUbOqdBdx0C7gSu-2FNV3kRZEJA59B3uyKBLo8ZdB7aXeYfsCS-2Bwa6k0umMUoqzrl0hbyhk5U7MezSWmIznb-2FPqo1HuTgkwUJAXh0lEby6HP74DBULwDawWEtISfBCRBQBo-2BP9ix1CwSU9Q2eNyMB-2FRGn0xhGppXcn35QvOLqd2gO3Q3NbY-3D">Quantum Physics and the Credibility of Christian Faith: A Personal Reflection. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3DT\_Pm\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BOVFbRLCzq4OfH-2FdVJ6Euz4IaRTlvBppwOH9c-2Bt-2B-2FV1xxYWHv-2BYXRIGofhwkms0LfI0gg9WfpXpILHa4mWc-2B3WXh27Fksby6J56pdMImdzCo-2FmUOxoP-2F-2Bginf1WJbB9zcXqY9d5RbV-2FNw3zXQwkhWIiADGhJLu8zBpK6R3-2BVm3PZxfpWytJneVieIMrfROu2pno05IgBZGqkEamf6MCYjr4-3D">Sensus Divinitatis</a> Applying the News Story Without getting lost in the details of quantum physics, discuss your understanding of God the Creator and his relationship with nature. Share the ways in which your Christian faith and your scientific understandings help you to make sense of the world. Suggest ways in which both approaches can help you to grow in faith and understanding. The Big Questions 1. What is your experience with science, gained during your school days and afterward? What value does it have to you, if any? 2. Where do you see evidence that God is the author of both nature and Scripture? What truths can be found in the physical world and in the Bible? How do these truths relate to each other? 3. How does creation point you to God, the Creator, if at all? When, if ever, have you had a religious experience in nature? How do you see God acting in the world, if at all? 4. Why should the search for truth include the perspectives of both science and faith? What can both contribute to a deeper understanding of God, reality and creation? How can the church be supportive of this search? 5. <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3D9Nqd\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BBqe-2F9auJTJDmEAoWksxkfgsgCQg7LKw6P-2BDYvLoEsXv35tkvl83sKIHr1ZBnacc9K-2BXCbnXaw0NVA8rzHFvurzU3TodfKlz7kdj84qUAUvm5MLikcpWXjTXHFKI8swynqNLdg4ZiAzEhY7uA35rOFGAB-2FiKLK95GIlx7-2F8PYdHXA-2FSKAr0R5qfrVkdwzC1G6RYiFZUXDAwF5I6vdnCSv5s-3D">Physicist Sikkema says</a> that quantum physics "invites us to see the world not as a machine but as a creation: mysterious, beautiful, and reflecting the presence and love of God." How is this true for you, if at all? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: Genesis 1:1-3 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, 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. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxdxvwvUIbrGNsYJ-2B9LkHJNSwlPa8rLsqzlWab2TSrPcr5Acfz3V-2F48YBJcy7AoT2Pkd83\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BB3Ogy463dHp4k9UVD6rd1-2Fpepm4a-2BD-2F9Ie3ndn5KBuEbLnyc4gMSEWKdI8-2BsfxJ7mz9UYfcx9TtqNt13QN-2B-2FUaJ7VCThRN9kt46dDkLnkCYC-2FS2aK-2FtjpE79xc7BWm0c8IyhjWwKWBbUMBA-2BcHGk9NAIR1GSW9ONJz25RjvoxScUrD-2FHE2dgCsB-2BMtWzq-2Bo02IC5z9GlXJVn7YEYPYoDZo-3D">Genesis 1:1-31</a>.) TWW Team Member Frank Ramirez is grateful to a Wheaton professor named John H. Walton for pointing out that the first chapter of Genesis does not require us to make a choice between the Bible and science. Instead, we simply need to accept that the writer of Genesis had different assumptions about the world than we do today. Walton challenges us to consider the difference between a "house" and a "home." Some people are very concerned about how to put building materials together to build a house, while others are more concerned about how to make a building home-like. The Hebrew word bara, translated in Genesis 1:1 as "create," is more about making a home than constructing a house, he said. It is used more than 50 times in the Hebrew Bible and it is always about bringing order to things. Walton said the word "refers to a divine activity. In scripture God creates, or brings order, to material objects like Jerusalem, but also to grammatical objects like purity." With this understanding, when the Bible says the earth was formless and empty the assumption is that the world was "not lacking matter, but order." The creation story was about making a home, not building a house, he asserted, noting that the seven days of creation conform to the seven days necessary to dedicate the temple as holy space. The creation narrative in Genesis 1 was about consecrating the whole earth as God's home, God's holy space. <blockquote> Questions: What kind of a home was God creating in the first chapter of Genesis? Why is God concerned with bringing order to things? How is this an ongoing concern for God in human life, and in the rest of creation? </blockquote> Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxEYsRn6dfakFVAxp1QQdxIDbUx4PwGnElo267QqEGKwq3zMIOC8gDCI-2Fb9zKdKJseX-17\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BGyLnNPoC08-2B8ln8BRWo9z04uWq5Z1stSaDhz-2BgX2-2B81gDg8mq1e2zGiNaKGy-2B4dEPj9h3D4J0tRCnf56zjTN4mTKFClMGr03mdwrKYhQEKfzs9ssYdjemBtBXNVMnsKBGXhfLjDqeye981Hq4OSFBnpoGSYCRUTCvNPhJJwTvTzRVl4R4-2Bzv4nj97XG485Q75FfR1T7zgwfg6HocBiA15w-3D">Psalm 19:1-6</a>.) The writer of Psalm 19 understood that God was at work throughout the universe, which is why he began by saying that the heavens "are telling the glory of God." This ancient poet, perhaps David, looked up into the heavens and saw the handiwork of God in the sun and moon, the stars and the planets. Some NASA physicists feel the same way today -- they look into space and see beauty and order, not emptiness and chaos. The psalm-writer says that creation speaks to us, but in a strange way -- it does not use words. "Day to day pours forth speech," says the psalm,"and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words ... yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (vv. 2-4). So, how does creation speak to us, if it does not use words? Perhaps through physics and chemistry and the science of life itself. And what is the message of a day that pours forth speech, and a night that declares knowledge? Creation may be telling us that God is good, and that God wants to provide for us -- our Earth is a lush, green island of life in the middle of the cold, lifeless expanse of space. There is plenty of food and resources for billions of people, but only if we share them and take care of them. <blockquote> Questions: How does creation speak to you, if at all? What message does it have for you? Where do you see evidence that God has created a good world, one with resources that can sustain the lives of all? What does this tell you about the nature of God? </blockquote> Colossians 1:15-17 [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers -- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxlG6Mf3tvEVmQijV4y0Lg7NLinVqq1ZQWKCApaZGEIJZ8B-2BQA3f-2FvcmjgjZkoqjmK2-ns\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BG4dCNWE7dup2-2F7474O3j-2FaChKgAXUWZjdNvhMpejKoDg1aBWjqtA-2Flxjj9yoRbc0ultN8IVYTJwpo1ize1hkfdUAnBdleIDiqRF1ud7hdelo6tHFlr1l5vHkPz5uMn-2BDIiDZpUVGUNfCc88oEAJkNAs372R8YYqNFWG8H7m7SzM8SQ43658Y6ZY8gBWR2rd2j7Pxc9O5vT6gUIXfNkgixA-3D">Colossians 1:15-23</a>.) So often we think of Jesus as a first-century rabbi, walking the dusty roads of Galilee, and that is certainly an important part of who he is. But in his letter to the Colossians, Paul describes him as a cosmic being who has a life and identity that go far beyond the Earth: "image of the invisible God" ... "firstborn of all creation" ... the center of reality. All things came into being through Christ, "visible and invisible," and without him not one thing came into being. He has power over all things, says Paul, "and in him all things hold together." In a world in which we often feel like our lives are being pulled apart, Jesus Christ is acting to "reconcile to [God] all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (v. 20). When we encounter world-shaking challenges, we have access to the greatest power in the universe. So, what happens when we put our trust in Jesus? For starters, Jesus creates instead of destroys. He supports the covenant that God made with the Earth and all living things after the Great Flood, when God promised never again to destroy creation with flooding. Bible instructor Sylvia Keesmaat notices that the phrase "all things" is repeated multiple times in this passage from Colossians -- this "reaffirms God’s commitment to creation, culminating in the reconciliation of all things both on earth and in heaven, making peace through the blood of Jesus on the cross." When our world is falling apart, Jesus is working to pull it back together. When our plans go awry, Jesus is creating something new. When we are feeling overwhelmed by sins and shortcomings, Jesus is "making peace through the blood of his cross" (v. 20). Jesus is all about restoration, renewal and forgiveness. He wants to make us right with God and with each other, so that we will be "holy and blameless and irreproachable" (v. 22). Jesus is also the "the head of the body, the church ... in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (vv. 18-19). In addition to being a creator of worlds, Jesus is the head of the community known as the church. And it is in Jesus that we see the fullness of God's powerful love. <blockquote> Questions: What is your understanding of the relationship between Jesus and creation? In your experience, how does he hold all things together? Where do you see Jesus in the life of the church? </blockquote> Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high ... (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfhOLPuUklFplPPD2VWbSPA1HBgXiChyFgBEVZ1jVDX-2BPeRBZY4qqoCpaPLpH9Mz4OixA\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BNPWCk2VD0WvFh9a9npjCbeKqpPAfMscbH-2FggrjggGYJGtxh8jEpRrivP72U-2Bkhk6lqObKcDFKWAmyC6F8y3GT9tD3t65g9-2Bkj44WLoaJK3OcywyExX80ZlKg16eQFD8TfLQhDlqclAdwigQlKeQ2HK-2BeDpL3yYFSPJTq9ay-2FaU4ywvTdTcwjIE3hS5A-2BhmHV1ifaxBMMjR9rMrqCGxCX2s-3D">Hebrews 1:1-9</a>.) The letter to the Hebrews is the first of the General Epistles in the New Testament, a set of letters that were addressed to a general audience, unlike the letters of the apostle Paul. Hebrews was written to Christians who had grown up Jewish, featuring elements that were connected to the ancient sacrificial system of Israel -- including the work of Jesus as a high priest to make "purification for sins." The letter begins by acknowledging that God spoke to Hebrew ancestors long ago "by the prophets," and now God is speaking "by a Son." God's Son Jesus is the "heir of all things," as well as being the one through whom God "created the worlds." Jesus continues to be at work in creation, in particular as the one who "sustains all things by his powerful word." This is an example of the work that physicist Arnold Sikkema attributes to the God who "is intimately involved in sustaining and guiding creation, moment by moment." <blockquote> Questions: How do you experience the involvement of Jesus in the world today? How does he sustain and guide things through his word -- in your personal life, in the life of the church, and in the wider world? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. In <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1r49BLAiEJ2R9RwXPswzjc2I5SX-2BR8PGmyj2oETx0g4FARxZaNESXdZDLTbXXZcflSec7DLQOi-2FziVOwtjD4NNa8lv8\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BHUD5H5cnajD3jtNOFt63lpsuK61cnIGDBcYRQnNnXZgoHV4EZH8-2FrhyV3lNUqhNeOvEArV2o7Dz91LDDyWh0zc63HghvLkYD3B40Vxu24cGDZrcJVh-2BnQhvOePk4-2FkTwLYAc6vSc9EN5Krb1xi-2FtDmNKj4tf3FF6XqOdiQQSnWUM5MBCoo2Ea5ByXb2Ph6T2uCY-2FYxGl6pg-2BUoaPCoy2ds-3D">The Awakened Brain</a>, author Lisa Miller draws on clinical experience and research to show that humans are equipped with a capacity for spirituality, and that our brains become more resilient and robust as a result of it. TWW Team Member Mary Sells asks, "Why do we separate our religious selves and our scientific selves? What if we dropped those assumptions and believed that God, Creator of all things, gave us scientific curiosity and the call to faith? Have we been trained to think either/or, with no space for both/and?" Respond. 2. "Natural phenomena like earthquakes and radiation are not inherently bad," <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPHsSe1ScrlvWmSubrEf7yxNo0F-2BxfMBS0eXwvVZAWIXidP8YQveRuLYlloB1ZZCfZHS7JYTz2fuWymPcixpS2OhzRaByh1sctepD9Um-2BLMqsO5bcFBMQD8Ps4F2YvYU95UFEt7zCvG6ay2A36YmmhAM-3DkFVY\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BKatSClppDQYpx8wo8rhpwgAGnvfx5fDTKfsW6z6N1yUKt699WBotvwvFCQ6Xpo2-2F4euyh2L8OiMjPxkYc-2B98naEdVoFZ0IFRyPXT6lzDgZLx-2FNoEENdbbxHuIZDBrz8XABYDU7Q9k5ekOlIEt-2F2zIHwxmLO-2BWKc9-2FXjth-2BkypYN-2B5zVZvKlpoGrVE6CS331TQEeR2Z4-2FJTDmUVDczVDsjk-3D">says physicist Arnold Sikkema</a>; "they are actually part of the good creation, though their effects can be harmful in a broken world. Redemption, then, includes not only spiritual renewal but also the restoration of our relationship with the physical world." How do you reconcile a good Creator with destructive events in nature? What could restore our relationship with the natural world? 3. In TWW Team Member Henry Brinton's novel <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qYmDsEvyof4LT2-2B4ehYqrYZ-2BICnKL6-2FaqpvAs2X-2FIEU8rOP3VeM9MBtusmHwKBLYw-3DSrjU\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmcS4Cid0HZB-2Bg5Ej9OajzpnIwOeAkzqARJiG1NGNeIHwpT3kXCN3u9RvW6hdEtfO-2BADg-2FYu2K0sKykdaYFex8pASNfYJ4zFmDg0l9qUv-2FNlV9Y-2FdNUrMRn7YzJw-2BcVOUNlasMldkwQbIq3uPtJ4uKAgh7p-2BnzX4ljrGIbkbHZYiRxqXPMkumSypBQaaOxKy-2FjjhZ61VV9K9ticLsXP8QmiencDsY-2FPT2kzyrMTfRnNIUvEAYX6-2FjD0B8wikzCi2KymdPIwoJXMuOdqUtGPd58rQ-3D">Windows of the Heavens</a>, a Methodist pastor named Harley Camden has an encounter with a witch named John Jonas. In the woods near the Occoquan River, John begins to talk about his pagan view of the world. "There is so much power in nature," John says, "so much energy. We believe that the spiritual world and the physical world are totally interconnected, and that every single thing has a spirit." Harley believes that Christ is the firstborn of all creation, and that all things were created through him. But he keeps this to himself. "In our services, we tap into this power," John continues, "and we embrace it all -- earth, wind, water, fire, sky. You Christians do as much evil as anyone, but you deny it. We have no problem with pride and personal freedom and individualism." "We are certainly sinners," admits Harley. "None of us is all good." "We embrace the evil and the good," John continues. "Humans are violent and always have been." What parts of creation do not reflect the handiwork of Christ? What forces in nature should Christians resist? 4. Physicist Vincenzo Tamma says that there is a lot of misleading writing on quantum physics, with some people saying that quantum mechanics is pure chaos and cannot fit with God, when in fact it can help us to understand creation and the Creator. How would you respond to someone disparaging quantum physics? Where do you see value in connecting science to faith? Responding to the News Listen carefully when the heavens begin to speak of "the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). Allow science to reveal the order of the created world to you, as it points you to the Creator. Look for opportunities in your church community to grow in both faith and understanding. Prayer We thank you, Lord, for being One God in Three Persons, a Trinity of love and power. We praise you for the order and wonder of your world, and for your commitment to being in relationship with all that you have made. Help us to serve you with heart and mind, and to worship you as our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen. 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