It’s a common expression – “the sky is the limit.” The implication is that there is no limit. The sky is symbolic of infinite possibilities, infinite opportunities. With our feet on the ground, the sky seems limitless.
But we are limited by our perspective. With our human scale, the sky seems to represent the vastness of our universe and by comparison, the vastness of what might be available to us. But we are deceived by the limits of our ability to observe. We are deceived by our ability to comprehend.
It is a powerful reminder of the inconceivable power and resources of our Creator. It is equally, a reminder of the preposterous notion that our universe, and all it contains, is merely a cosmic accident.
As science continues to struggle to understand the complexities of our existence, much of that struggle revolves around discovering the secrets of mass, energy, time, and space. Science continues to explore the dimensions of our universe and the incalculable number of celestial bodies it contains.
A recent effort has begun a project to map out a 3-D model of roughly half the observable universe, comprised of 35 million galaxies – or so it appears to those on this project. In truth, no one knows how many galaxies exist.
When we consider that each galaxy may contain 100 billion or more stars, and each star may have multiple planets surrounding it, the numbers spiral out of control, and the questions multiply accordingly.
But the primary question remains the same. Is our universe and our very existence the result of chance, or is it the work of a Creator? Did it take billions of attempts by nature to deliver a planet capable of supporting life, or is our existence the result of a carefully crafted design by that force we call God?
Are all those stars the residue from billions upon billions of failed attempts, or are they strategically placed in the cosmos to be close enough to view and inspire human efforts, but far enough away to grant humanity an unlimited resource for striving?
As we gaze into the dark skies, we may believe that “the sky’s the limit.”
But perhaps there is no limit, and that may be one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity.
In another