The First Miracle
Where did the universe come from? I asked myself that question long ago when a teenager. It is also the biggest question modern physicists ask. The most accepted current answer is that there was a small amount of extremely dense, extremely hot matter and, suddenly, for some unknowable reason, that tiny dot exploded in what is called the “Big Bang”.
That tiny dot, the theory says, began expanding and “space” grew and is growing larger and larger. It all cooled because the heat was spread within an ever larger volume. This is called adiabatic cooling, cooling without loss of heat. We see this daily when hot air containing water vapor rises, cools as a result of expansion due to reduced pressure, and condenses into liquid water drops called clouds. This liquid water stays aloft as long as it is not too heavy for the rising air to keep aloft. When the rising air is too weak to keep the clouds from falling – it rains.
As matter expands gravity pulls gas and dust together to form stars and planets and create galaxies. What is this “gravity”? We define it by saying that it is a force drawing any two physical bodies toward each other. That doesn’t tell us why or how it came to exist. It’s just there.
Why then does not everything fall back together? Why doesn’t the moon fall to the Earth? Take a string and tie it to any weight. Whirl it around for a while and then let go. It will fly away. Its circular motion caused it to fly off. The string kept it from flying off. The moon’s string is gravity. Its tendency to fly off is its circular velocity.
Gravity is not the only force in the universe. Electromagnetic force is seen in lightning, electricity, and magnetic attraction. Electromagnetic force causes atoms to cling together creating molecules such as H2O (water) or NaCl (table salt). There are also two forces that hold atoms together called the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force.
These forces allow all kinds of things to exist. All four forces are actively involved in the eye with which you are reading as well as in all materials throughout your body. These four forces follow patterns which physicists call “laws”.
Physicists discover these “laws” by considering very simple concepts and using very complex mathematics. Fortunately, those of us who are not physicists live by these laws and get along quite nicely without needing to understand everything within the atoms and molecules of our bodies or in all that makes life possible.
Can there be a design without a designer? Can a highly technical piece of equipment such as the universe exist without following the intent of a highly intelligent technician? Every detail of the universe is part of a very complex and well-designed system allowing us to live, love, think, move, eat, work, and experience life .
There are many who say miracles cannot happen. There are many who refuse to believe the possibilities of turning water into wine, healing a blind man, virgin birth, or resurrection. It is not hard to refuse general belief in miracles, but no one can refuse to believe in the first miracle of all. The First Miracle is existence of the universe. The universe is real, solid, undeniable. We live within it. It follows detailed, consistent, predictable laws. Such a well designed system has, must have, an intelligent designer.
“In beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” “In beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Always remember:
Only one life ‘twil soon be past;
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Rev. Dave Dupee is former Headmaster of an International Boarding School and is currently pastoring Fellowship Presbyterian Church (PCA) here in Newport.“
