God of the universe

Preface: There is no such thing as an accident.

A few weeks ago, some friends and I went to spend the weekend at Haley’s house the weekend between Passion and school to do nothing but read the Bible, relax, and eat tons of delicious food. It was one of the best weekends of my life. One night while cooking dinner, we saw out the kitchen window an incredible sunset over Haley’s farm. We went outside and just stared at is as it went down. I remembered how earlier in the day, the sun was really bright and hurt my eyes as I sat on the pool deck reading. After looking at it, I saw spots and my whole face hurt. And now, this same sun was slowly and majestically sinking to the other side of the earth. It was beautifully sad. I didn’t want things to go dark, but I know it would come back so I could see everything by it again. It’s return in the morning was also designed to be as magnificent. I also noticed that as it fell, the moon was rising higher into the sky. Although harder to see, the moon was illuminated by the almost missing sun and reigning over me just as the sun had so powerfully during the day. It too would go eventually.

I thought of how bright Christ is- of how I am such a fickle and unworthy human that whenever I consider myself worthy of staring at Him as an equal, I’m burned, just like when I stare into the sun. I thought about how Christ’s departure was the most beautiful three hours humanity has ever seen, and how we have no greater hope than that which we have in His return. I was reminded that in Christ’s absence, we were given the Holy Spirit. It’s harder to see than an actual man walking on earth, but It’s just as present and just as necessary. Not only is the moon our light when the sun is away, but the moon controls gravity. The gospel is displayed to us in awe-inspiring splendor in a painting in the sky every single day.

Bare with me for another analogy. I actually learned something in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences lecture (I know- it’s crazy) that completely blew my mind. 

The earth was not originally tilted at all when it was created, and therefore it could sustain no life. The moon didn’t even exist until 50-100 million years after the world was created. But approximately 4.5 billion years ago, a Mars-sized object named “Theia” (after a Greek Titan who gave birth to the moon goddess, Selene) collided with the earth. As a result of the impact, the iron core of Theia sunk into and combined with the (then) softer core of the earth. The collision projected a large portion of both Theia’s and the earth’s mantles into space. Part of that lost mass became the moon, and the striking similarities between the cores of the moon and the earth are evidence that they were one until a large impact separated them, further proving the existence of Theia. This collision also tilted the earth 23 degrees, drastically changed its rotation (and therefore the length of days), and shifted the earth’s equator closer to the plane of the moon’s orbit. If Theia hadn’t hit earth, the earth would be left orbiting the sun and spinning on its axis like a chicken roasting with its head and tail alternately aimed at the fire rather than being cooked broadside. One pole to the equator would be in darkness during the solstice while the other half would be extremely hot. The poles would swap lighting conditions at the next solstice. Not to mention that the creation of the moon significantly impacts gravity and ocean tides. It has been said that before Theia, several large collisions of foreign bodies with the earth had happened, but none created objects like the moon or provided the earth the ability to sustain life. Basically, without Theia colliding into the earth 4.5 billion years ago, humans literally could not survive on this planet.

Last time I checked, Jesus Christ had a pretty big impact on the earth, too. Without Him, there is NO LIFE. Apart from Him, we are DEAD! Christ came into the world, leaving with us His blood spilled on the cross- what is now part of our core. Similar to my previous analogy, the moon affects gravity and tides just as the Spirit orbits around us in our daily lives. The Spirit’s core is in us and we in it, proving that we are spiritually one. Christ’s impact shifted our centers to line up with the Spirit; Theia’s impact lined up the equator with the moon. Previous collisions with the earth resemble the sending of the prophets to God’s people in the Old Testament- they were of God but they were not capable of bringing life to humanity and saving it from burning forever by the wrath and fire and power of the sun- the Almighty God- that it so deserved. The gospel was written far before any man could make it up. How can something so intwined with the creation of existence itself be questioned? The gospel has been here since the BEGINNING!

So here’s my question:

Why do we think we are so important?

(Watch this video. You’ve already spent this much time reading and I promise it’s worth it.)

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I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. -C.S. Lewis

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19

The heavens declare the glory of God, 

   and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 

Day to day pours out speech, 

   and night to night reveals knowledge. 

There is no speech, nor are there words, 

   whose voice is not heard. 

Their voice goes out through all the earth, 

   and their words to the end of the world. 

In them he has set a tent for the sun, 

   which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, 

   and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, 

   and its circuit to the end of them, 

   and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:1-6

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Matthew 17:2

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 1 Corinthians 15:41

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus... to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:13-16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5