Nasa Image from Hubble.
My son just sent me some pictures from the Hubble Telescope. There are some amazing things to be seen in our universe. They are beyond our ability to describe...
...and yet, we have a language that allows us to give some meaningful definition to the vast cosmos. We don't quibble with the fine points of astronomy when someone says they are watching the sunrise. The description has meaning to us and that is sufficient. I've never heard anyone but my dear Mother [and she only did it to make a point] correct someone to say "the earth is turning into a point where we can see the sun."
Years ago I went to the 1964 World's Fair in New York. IBM had a pavilion housed in a gigantic egg [no, not a real egg, an architectural construction in the shape of an egg], that contained a presentation designed to show the layman how a computer works. The movie followed a woman as she planned a dinner party, inviting guests and organizing elements of the event such as the menu and the seating arrangement. The metaphor was brilliant and contained nothing about punch cards and binary numbers.Those of us who saw it came away with a good sense of what computers could do and how they did it but were given little 'technical'information in the process.
Psalm 104, likewise gives us a glimpse of the 'unseeable' workings of G-d's creative hand. I love the thought: "Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain." Today, tools like the Hubble give us a better picture of the'technical' aspects of our expanding universe, but simply echo the Psalmist's sentiment: "O Lord my G-d, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty."
Each section of the creation story in Genesis begins with G-d speaking. Francis Collins calls the complex code of the genome "the Language of God." The trick is giving adequate description in the language of men.
1Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
16The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
32He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
35Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
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