Jim Valekis
A lot of people these days believe the Bible has asked us to believe some really “out there” things, so it’s worthy of rejecting (and by the way, I don’t agree with that).
But so has, of all people, the scientists today who study and explain the amazing findings of quantum physics.
Almost daily, I get on my news feeds some amazing headlines of the latest and greatest speculations this field of science has brought to the fore.
What If the Universe Is Conscious? | Watch (msn.com)
The Universe May Be a Hologram, Meaning Our Entire Reality Could Be an Illusion (msn.com)
The Radical Theory That Says That Life Creates The Universe (msn.com)
Scientists Spotted ‘Massless’ Electrons Moving in 4 Dimensions (msn.com)
You read things where respected physicists say that “matter” somehow doesn’t exist unless it has an observer to observe it. Not to mention the possible existence of parallel universes, and powers we can’t see (Dark Matter) simply influencing the way things are.
So here’s the paradox.
Both the Bible and science are asking us to believe things that are counterintuitive to our reality. One So here are two headlines I’d like to throw out there for consideration:
1. “The Bible and Quantum Physics Have More in Common Than We Realize,” and
2. “Our God Is a Quantum God.” (And yes, I’m playing off the hymn, “Our God is an Awesome God.”)
Maybe that’s the way we should begin singing this hymn in church. If we do, we may find ourselves once again to be able to dialogue with scientists in ways we’ve heretofore had to be embarrassingly silent—like Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist had to be because of his lack of speculative flexibility.
Taking a “How Can This Be Approach” to Both Revelations
I love reading the first chapter of the book of Luke. It’s one of the most theologically profound revelations I’ve ever read, and it’s a book that contrasts the difference between curiosity and faith-expanding belief and rigidity and possibility-limiting doubt.
In this chapter, two “Bible greats” are told something that stretches the boundaries of their belief.
The first is Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. He’s an older man who’s visited by an angel of God, and he’s been an incredibly righteous (and religious) man all his life. He knows how the world works—and he knows from at least his age-hardened perspective how it doesn’t work either. And when he is told something is going to happen that simply “could not be” in his thought world, He questions cynically questions and doubts—and ends up losing his ability to dialogue with the world around him for a critical season, even while a miracle is taking place right under his nose.
The second “great” in this chapter, a virgin called Mary, takes a different tactic. She too is told something that defies belief—that she a virgin was going to have a child. But in this case, she doesn’t respond negatively with a cynical response that incurs a negative response from the angelic messenger sent to her. Instead, she simply questions with an “all things are possible” curiosity. She doesn’t say, in effect, Yeah, right!” She simply says effect, “How will this be?” As a result, a whole new world of truth is opened to her, and the world. And the One who is “the Truth” (Jesus) takes residence in her womb.
Note the difference. One in effect is saying “There is no way this can be.”
And the other takes another “let’s see how this could be” or “how can this possibly be” approach.
Can both scientists and people of faith start asking the same question of each other—and both be blessed in the process?
The Quantum God
As the abilities of science take amazing leaps in understanding the inner workings of the “quantum” world from which this universe springs, what if we were able to take the same approach?
Rather than needlessly challenge the findings of science (and in reverse, needlessly dismiss the revelation potential of the Scripture) what if we could both learn to ask the question:
“How might this be able to be?”
And what if scientists could throw off their faith-desensitized lenses and begin to give a really smart ancient book a chance—and learn some things that will help them to discover even greater truths than they’ve already observed?
Could it be that findings of modern-day science are things Christians need no longer fear and run away from (and frankly, make us sound fearful and uneducated so much of the time)?
Could it be the concepts tucked away in an often very poetic but still very inspired (and inspiring) ancient book share concepts that could guide theoretical physicists into new levels of possibilities—and maybe even major discoveries that have heretofore eluded them?
I would like to submit they could.
As the abilities of science take amazing leaps in understanding the inner workings of the “quantum” world from which this universe springs, the writings of the Bible prove themselves to be amazing parables that dance as gracefully with these latest discoveries as they did with understandings of the generations before. And the findings of quantum physics are giving them a refreshing and amazing breath of fresh air as well.
In the spirit of the Virgin Mary, I want to approach them both and ask the question “How can this be?”
And I’ve got a real live physicist—Dr. Christopher Baird[1] whose willing to help me do it. With his help, I’m going to explore if certain time-treasured Bible stories do indeed have even greater possible credence in light of the discoveries of modern physics. And I am also going to consider how these amazing discoveries not only give us more to question, but more reason to believe.
Welcome to “The Quantum God Series” of the “Smiling Icon Ministries Blog.”
Let’s boldly go where scientists and theologians have not usually been willing to go before. And let’s have fun while doing it!
Jim Valekis is a marketplace chaplain and the author of a soon-to-be-released book “The Christian In the Cult: And How I Discovered Humanity in Christ” Kharis
[1] Associate Professor of Physics, West Texas A&M University and author of “The Top 50 Science Questions With Surprising Answers The Top Fifty Science Questions With Surprising Answers
