The first words of the Bible – “In the beginning.” It is perhaps the simplest, yet most profound opening of any text ever written. In the beginning.

From time to time, a news story arises from the ranks of science and academia, announcing a new theory about the size of the universe and the beginning of time. Most of us who live normal lives, and have only a basic grasp of science and astronomy may glance at such a story and move on to other topics.

Those of us who are engaged in that perpetual struggle to justify our faith and our grasp of science may pause to delve deeper into those questions. When, exactly is the “beginning?” Where is the end of the universe?

As is usually the case, we are handicapped by the limitations of human understanding. We can understand the beginning of a lifespan and the end, based on our own experience and observation. We can judge the distance to our favorite vacation spot or grandma’s house based on the human-designed scales of mileage.

In either case, there is a clearly defined starting point and ending point. When it comes to judging the size of the universe, or the time it has existed, we are clearly in over our heads.

So, in an attempt to pu these strange concepts into a form we can grasp, we fall back on the most reliable yardstick we have at our disposal – mathematics.

We start by redefining distance in terms of the gap that light can transverse over a period of time. Those vast distances then become “light years.” So, now we are describing an unimaginable distance using a scale of time. And, when those years start accumulating too many zeros, we invent another scale. Perhaps eons will work.

Ultimately, we come full circle and come back to “time” as the defining element. And time is such a confusing element. An hour waiting for dinner to cook is a minor inconvenience, while ten minutes standing in the rain waiting for the bus, seems like an eternity. So, even time is relative.

Confused yet?

The bottom line is that the age of the universe and the size of the universe are concepts that are so far removed from human experience, that we have little choice but to accept the concept that some things are beyond our ability to understand.

And that is where our struggles with science bolsters our faith. That is where believing in a God who creates and controls all things makes sense, even to the logical mind. We can neither prove nor disprove the concepts of time and space that define our existence. But we know those elements exist.

Perhaps that, in itself, is proof of the existence of God and all He represents.

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For centuries, science and faith have been viewed as two conflicting ideologies. While science relies on empirical evidence and reasoning, faith is often based on belief in something that cannot be proven in terms of human understanding. The conflict between science and faith has led to many debates, controversies, and misunderstandings.

One area where science and faith often come into conflict is in the debate over the origin of life. The evolution versus creationism debate is perhaps the most significant conflict between science and faith. Evolutionary theory states that all life on earth has evolved over millions of years, while creationism posits that a divine creator made everything in a matter of days. This debate has been ongoing for decades, with many people firmly believing in one view or the other. Those who accept evolution argue that it is supported by a vast body of evidence, while those who support creationism cite religious texts and beliefs.

Many religious traditions have creation stories that describe how the world came into being, often involving a divine creator. However, the scientific consensus is that life on Earth evolved through natural processes over millions of years. This has led to many debates over the teaching of evolution in schools and the place of creationism in the scientific community.

Despite the apparent conflict between science and faith, there are many examples of how the two can work together. For example, many religious organizations have come out in support of conservation efforts and climate change mitigation measures. They argue that it is their duty to care for the planet, which is a gift from God. In this way, science and faith can work together to achieve a common goal.

The conflict between science and faith also extends to issues such as stem cell research and genetic engineering. While scientists see these technologies as a way to improve human health and well-being, some religious groups believe that they are morally wrong and go against the natural order of things.

In more recent times, there have been many examples of science and faith coexisting and even collaborating. For example, many religious groups have embraced the idea of climate change and are working to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. The scientific community has also been working to find ways to make their discoveries more accessible to the public and to address ethical concerns related to their work.

Despite these conflicts, many people still hold both scientific and religious beliefs, and some even see them as complementary. For example, the Catholic Church has a long history of supporting scientific research and has often been at the forefront of scientific discoveries. In recent years, Pope Francis has made numerous statements about the importance of addressing climate change and protecting the environment.

In conclusion, the conflict between science and faith is a complex and multifaceted issue that has been the subject of debate for centuries. While there have been instances where science and faith have come into conflict, there are also many examples of them coexisting and even complementing each other. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to reconcile their own beliefs and find a way to integrate science and faith into their worldview.

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It seems that the deeper our level of understanding of our world, the more difficult it becomes to embrace a faith in our God. In effect, it seems that what we see as knowledge pushes us farther and farther away from a strong connection with our spiritual existence.

Humans, it seems, are designed to strive to understand the world around us. The downside is, as we gain the ability to analyze our earthly existence, we lose touch with the “mystery” of that existence. We continually strive to dig deeper and deeper into the mechanics of life. In the process, we distance ourselves from faith in God.

If we look into the past, we would recognize that it was the absence of knowledge that fueled a strong culture of faith. Unfortunately, that same culture of ignorance planted many seeds of superstition which contaminated the minds of the faithful. If we were to be brutally honest, we would probably conclude that many church rituals have their roots in superstitions.

So, where does that leave us today? With all the advances in science, are we losing our ability to believe? Has logic become our new god?

Strangely, the opposite is true. The more we understand about the mechanics of our our world, our universe, our existence, the more we find ourselves confronted with a spiritual reality that defies our ability to understand.

As we explore deeper and deeper into the structure of our world, we eventually arrive at a point that we can no longer explain with the tools that we have developed. We developed a microscope to peer into the structure of cells. When we reached the limits of the microscope, we invented the electron microscope that allowed us to see even deeper into the structure of the atoms that are the building blocks of matter.

We keep inventing instruments that allow us to expand our ability to see the most minute details of matter and the furthest reaches of our universe. Ultimately, we employ our greatest tool – mathematics – to allow us to understand concepts that we cannot grasp with our five senses.

When we reach the limits of our ability to understand distances within our universe on an earthly scale, we invent “light years” to describe the indescribable. Once again, mathematics comes to the rescue.

Again and again, we use our tools of mathematics to grasp concepts that are beyond our ability to visualize or experience on a human scale – until finally, we reach the limits that even mathematics cannot conquer.

It is then that we find ourselves coming full circle – back to a belief and acceptance in a force we can only define as “God.” Cleansed of superstition and the complexities of science, we must finally confront the logical conclusion that there is more to our existence than we will ever be able to understand while we exist in a human form.

Perhaps it is only in the transition we call death that we will ever see and appreciate the truth.

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It is probably one of the most well-known phrases in Christian worship. “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.”

But few of us ever contemplate the meaning and significance of this familiar refrain. Let’s face it. In the mysterious world of faith, we all struggle to grasp the rights, wrongs, and consequences of our acts. To further complicate our understanding, we are subject to a lifelong stream of superstitions and misdirection.

As social media channels grow and multiply, we see postings that suggest that we engage in some ritualistic activity that will ensure our good fortune if we “spread the word” or act in a timely manner to participate in some action.

No doubt, these appeals tempt those of us striving to find the right lottery numbers or escape from the stress of an emotional or legal predicament. But, before we resort to superstitious practices we might be better served to apply a bit of logic to our situation and our relationship with God.

For instance, “Why should we praise God?” Does He need our adulation to fuel His power? Do we do this to curry favor? Do we expect to be rewarded in proportion to the intensity of our praise? Do we harbor some secret goal that we can only achieve with God’s powerful intervention?

Perhaps we are all guilty of such thoughts and intentions. Who among us would deny that we periodically engage in the wishful-thinking practice of linking our relationship to God with our earthly hope and goals?

If we truly want to strengthen our relationship with God, maybe we need to develop a new understanding.

Praise God. What exactly does that mean? We might better understand that concept if we start with the second phrase of that hymn – “From Whom All Blessing Flow.”

It might be difficult to identify with “all blessings” when we are struggling to pay our bills or dealing with illness. And that is the key to understanding the concept of praising God. It is in recognizing that the “blessings” in our life are, in fact, the foundational elements of our existence. The blessings we all enjoy are the air that we breathe, the perfect rotational speed of our planet, the season changes, the growth of plants that feed us, and the immeasurable number of perfect functions of our earth that allow us to exist.

Once we understand the reality of our blessings, it becomes easier to grasp the concept of “praising” God.

Praising God can be difficult for a human being because we are so firmly locked into the pride of our own identity. Praising becomes something we resist because it acknowledges the existence of an entity that is superior to ourselves.

Once we recognize the reality of our blessings, we can understand praising God is embracing an appreciation for all we already have, regardless of the lottery numbers.

Now, it all makes sense.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

It is one aspect of our lives that we all struggle to control – our emotions.

We struggle to hide our grief, our anger, our infatuation, our disappointment. There is a wide range of human emotions that materialize under a wide range of circumstances. Somehow, we see a display of our emotions as a weakness.

We want to appear to be strong, in control, and unshakable. We want to project an image that we are in charge of our reactions and behavior.

Perhaps all that effort is self-defeating. Perhaps blocking or denying our emotions serves to widen the gap between us and our Creator.

If we reflect on it, we might recognize that many of our emotional swings are based on the foundational emotion of love. Grief, for example, is a reaction to love lost or denied. Likewise, loneliness and depression are strongly linked to a lack of love.

And love is the fundamental force that defines God.

If we review one of the earliest Biblical human directives – the Ten Commandments – we will discover that each of those commandments is an expression of love.

Many of us wonder, throughout our lives, why we can’t seem to make that spiritual connection with God. The answer may be staring us in the face – or, at least in the mirror. By resisting those emotions, by holding back those tears, by putting on the stoic, brave face, we diminish the very energy that links us to the spiritual realm.

In essence, we are distancing ourselves from the only true communication channel with God.

If we stand back a moment from our daily existence, we might recognize that any passion we feel in our life is an emotional-fueled drive, and the more passion we feel, the more energy we expend toward a goal or a desire.

The key to a powerful spiritual connection is to embrace the emotion/passion of love and apply it to our everyday life. We need to look for ways to express that love in all we do.