One of the factors we need to acknowledge when we try to balance logic and faith is the inescapable reality that we are handicapped by our language. And perhaps nothing is more confusing in that respect than the meaning of time.

After centuries of advances in science, today’s scientists still struggle to understand the nature of time. Most recently, science has attempted to explain the relationship between physical dimensions and time by inventing a new theory they call spacetime.

Confusing? Of course.

Now try to imagine the Creator of the universe and all it contains, including the element of time, trying to convey that concept to His human creation. Then try to imagine that human trying to record that concept in a text he could share with humanity.

That is pretty much what we encounter in reading the first book of the Bible which is attributed to Moses.

The sequence of events described in the creation story corresponds quite closely to what science tells us about the probable development of life on the earth. The logical disconnect occurs when we try to merge science theory with the description of events in the book of Genesis.

As we try to reconcile these two conflicting concepts we need to accept the fact that Moses, the author of the text, wasn’t an eyewitness to the creation. If we assume that the story of creation was passed on to Moses by God, is it possible that Moses, handicapped by the limitations of human language, wrote that description in the only language he knew.

This clearly brings up the question –  is God’s definition of a “day” the same as the human interpretation.

A more recent occurrence that demonstrates this question came about when the year 1999 ended and the new year of 2000 began. There were many that expected this event to be the time of the return of Christ, and were confused and disappointed when that did not occur. Others would shake their heads and pose the question – “What makes you think God acts according to our human calendar?”

Once we recognize that the definitions of the passage of time in hours, days, months, and years is a human invention, we can reconcile the conflict between science and faith.

Perhaps God’s definition of a “day” is different than the human definition. Perhaps the conflict between the creation story in Genesis and the development of the earth as described by science isn’t in conflict after all.

With all of eternity at His disposal, God might employ all the tools of physics and chemistry He created to accomplish His construction project according to His timetable, not ours. Then it was up to Moses to convey that information in the best was he could. Then it becomes our task to understand.

As we struggle to understand His messages, God waits patiently.

After all, He has all the time in the world, and then some.