The Evidence of Things Not Seen

This summer, the largest experiment in particle physics will begin in Switzerland. The scientists are hoping to find signs of the elusive "God-particle" whose presence they think will lead to a new theory that will change our view of the universe and our place in it. Newsweek interviewed theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg to get his opinion on what this experiment means to the world, and especially how its findings might affect religion. Here are few excerpts of what he had to say:

"As science explains more and more, there is less and less need for religious explanations."

"...religion has evolved along with science. It is something created by human beings, and as human beings learn more and more their religion changes. Today, especially in the more established religious sects in the West, they've learned to stop trying to explain nature religiously and leave that to science."

"People who expect to find evidence of divine action in nature, in the origin of the universe or in the laws that govern matter, are probably going to be disappointed. "

"It is always possible that we will discover something in nature that cannot be explained in the naturalistic way that we've gotten used to in science and that will really require divine intervention. That hasn't happened."

Read the full interview here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/128877/page/1

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is not always an easy thing to have. It is always easier to trust in what our own senses perceive than in the things that we cannot see, touch, hear or understand. The majority of scientists desire answers to every question, and often trust in their own findings above all else. They seek to prove either the existence or the non-existence of God by human standards. Like Thomas, they want to "...see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side..." (John 20:25) before they make an effort to believe.

Even we as Christians have moments when we lack in faith, and oddly enough, it is often in the little things. We believe that God spoke the world into existence, but we doubt His providing for our basic needs. We believe that God Himself walked among us as a man, but we doubt His closeness when we are hurt and broken. We believe that the blood of God's own son has cleansed us from our unrighteousness, but we doubt his working everything in life for our good.

Faith is hard, there is no denying that. But the reward for our faith is beyond anything that we can imagine. There will come a day when we will put our fingers on the scars that we already knew were there, and place our hands into the side that we already knew existed. No matter what the outcome of this new experiment might be, we know that the only way to view the universe is as the footstool of God, and that our purpose in it is to glorify Him with everything that we are.

"Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'". John 20:29.