Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10.5)

Vision
The Cosmos
The composition of the cosmos is one of the most debated and discussed topics in contemporary physics, and one which commands more money and man-hours than almost any other field of scientific endeavor.

Focused on discovering the ultimate nature of all things, scientists can begin to feel rather heady about, as they see it, finally scaling the last peak of knowledge. But the discovery, during the last century, of “dark matter,” “dark energy,” and “black holes” has raised more questions than answers. And some of the answers being proposed should encourage those who embrace a Biblical cosmology to think that, well, science might just catch up with the Bible in this area as well.

Consider some of the recent thinking about black holes. Most of us, I suspect, when we think of the term, “black hole,” have in mind something that destroys existence forever.

Black holes appear to be concentrations of matter so dense that nothing which enters one can ever escape, not even light (hence, “black” holes). However, physicists and cosmologists cannot agree on what a black hole actually is, and this disagreement has opened the door for other speculations.

As Sabine Hossenfelder reports in the 31 March 2016 issue of Aeon, some physicists are beginning to think that black holes, rather than being bottomless pits of crushed chaos, may be immense quantum computers, storing and using data rather than destroying it forever (“Black-hole computing”). According to these physicists, “Black holes are the simplest, most compact, most efficient information storage devices that physicists know of. Using the black holes’ coding protocol therefore should be the best possible method to store information in condensate-based quantum computers.”

I can’t follow all the argument here, nor understand the thinking and testing which are being applied to support this theory, but the idea that the cosmos, in regions beyond the reach of scientific instrumentation, there consisting of something other than matter as we know it, is not chaotic and destructive by nature, but conserving, renewing, and eternal, points toward a more Biblical understanding of the cosmos-upholding work of the Word of God (cf. Col. 1.17, Heb. 1.3).

I’m not saying that our Lord is a black hole or dark matter or dark energy. But these things are “black” and “dark” because materialistic science cannot measure or explain them; neither, however, can they deny their existence. Scientists infer the reality of these mysteries by their influence on what can be seen and measured. Their materialistic bias leads them to refer to such mysteries as “matter.” But as the Christian understands, “matter” is not the only option available to explain the unity, coherence, and intelligence of the cosmos.

And now even physicists are suggesting that these “matters” which lie beyond the reach of scientific instruments may be intelligent, infinite, and eternal.

Hmmm.

Ms. Hossenfelder concludes, “Information really does live on eternally. In that sense, we are all immortal. And the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy? It’s actually a cosmic quantum computer.”

It’s actually much, much more than that, as every Christian knows, but physics keeps pointing toward the true identity behind black holes, dark matter, and dark energy, and in a line of thinking not inconsistent with the historic teaching of the Christian faith.

It’s not clear how this story of cosmic discovery will finally work out, but Christians need have no fear concerning whatever physicists and cosmologists may conclude. As the late Robert Jastrow, one-time director of the Goddard Space Lab, and an agnostic astronomer put it, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

It’s not likely the theologians will be drawn into this discussion any time soon. Some things we just have to enjoy from a distance, resisting the temptation to bark, “I told you so.”

For reflection
1.  Meditate on Colossians 1.17 and Hebrews 1.3. What do such passages suggest about the relationship between our exalted King and the world He spoke into being?

2.  Is it quaint or naïve or simplistic to believe that the Word of God upholds every detail and creature of the vast cosmos? Why or why not?

3.  What does it suggest about Christ, and our faith in Him, that He is a God of such immense power?

Next steps: Meditate on Ephesians 3.20. In the light of the questions above, how does this lead you to think about the possibilities of how your life might be used by our Lord? Talk with a Christian friend about this question.

Please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Or, you can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal.