While we marvel at the beauty and order there seems to be in the universe, it is actually a chaotic and dangerous place out there. New stars are constantly exploding into existence while old ones are imploding into black holes. Galaxies are expanding at a frenetic phase and on course to colliding with one another. In space, there are countless chunks of meteors traveling at speeds several times faster than sound, ready to crash into any objects on their path. Earth gets bombarded daily by these meteors and one fairly large one is enough to wipe out all life on earth, as what happened during the times of the dinosaurs. In such a milieu, life can be very fragile and tenuous.
In the midst of all that chaos and danger, there is a beautiful and peaceful spot in the universe we call home, a pale blue dot in the vastness of that space, our planet Earth. It sustains and nurtures a unique experience we call life and a special life-form we call humans. Is this all a chance occurrence or a grand and magnificent design? If it is all by chance, isn’t that a bit like trying to make a camel pass through the eye of a needle? If it is by design, I only need to look deep down inside me to know that it is indeed by design. I keep still in prayer and I encounter God’s life-giving presence in my body, my mind, my heart and in the whole of my life.
My body is of such complicated and fascinating design, it could not have come about by blind chance alone. It is such a wonderful machine that can heal and repair itself. It has served me well from the time I was born till today. If I do not abuse it, as I have been wont to do in my younger days, my body should be good for many more years. It took years of evolution for humans to become, with many happy surprises and developments along the way. But even looking at the process over millions of years, there was some force or energy behind it all working out a design.
I believe in synergy; that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And I have seen synergy at work in nature and in people working together. But synergy alone cannot explain the power of my mind. My brain cells are made of exactly the same materials as the other cells in my body. But how is it possible for my brain cells to be capable of thought, of reasoning and most of all of imagining even things that do not exist in reality? This cannot be a random event. Serendipity? Yes, serendipity is what we call a joyful and surprising turn of events when we do not see and understand the grand design behind them.
It is my heart that tells me that this there is more than just randomness to my life. My heart beats to keep me alive, 80 beats a minute. That’s more than 42 million beats in one year. But more than just keeping me alive, my heart is the barometer of the kind of life I am living. It beats faster when I am excited or afraid or angry. It skips a beat when I feel love for another person. It aches when I am sad or lonely or at loss. It floats or palpitates with excitement when I am happy. It is beats serenely when I am at peace with myself and the world around me. My heart tells me I am a person of worth and value and therefore lovable. Because I am loved, I want to give that love to others as well. My heart tells me when I have done good. It bothers me when I do otherwise. Now, all of this cannot just be random.
All my life and all the world tells me and affirms that life as we know it is no accident but the design and the handiwork of a loving God.
All the earth proclaim the Lord; sing your praise to God.
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:23–26