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What do you think about when you look up at the stars?
Scientists believe that the creation of the universe began 13.7 billion years ago. When I think about God’s activity over that vast amount of time, I join the writer of Psalm 8 in wondering, “When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made — the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place — what are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them?” (Psalm 8:3-4). Truly, our human history is just a small portion of God’s work in the universe.
My father felt the same way, through his forty years of working as a physicist for NASA. He saw beauty and order when he looked into space, not ugliness and disorder, and he felt a sense of awe in the course of his work. “Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!” said the psalm-writer, “You made your glory higher than heaven!” (verse 1).
God does not want people to feel small and insignificant when they ponder the vastness of space and the billions of years that have passed since the Big Bang. No, God “made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur” (verse 5). God has made human beings in his image and likeness, with divine qualities such as wisdom, creativity and compassion. We can use these gifts to explore the solar system, create life-saving technologies, and show mercy and love to our neighbors.
So, what should we see when we look at God’s glorious creation? I think that the universe is telling us that God is good, and that God wants to provide for us — our Earth is a lush, green island of life in the middle of the cold expanse of space. There is plenty of food and resources for all of the billions of people on Earth, but only if we share them and preserve them.
Of course, our world is not a perfect paradise. Earthquakes occur in places like Haiti and many thousands die. But often the suffering in such regions is due more to human factors than to natural events. If impoverished people in the developing world were given access to stronger buildings, cleaner water, and healthier food, then many more would survive a natural disaster.
Think about what happens when an earthquake hits San Francisco: Dozens of people die. When the same strength quake hits a place such as Haiti, tens of thousands are killed. Our challenge is to act like people who are “only slightly less than divine” (verse 5), and share with generosity. We are meant to be good stewards of the resources that have been entrusted to us by God.
Nature tells us that God is a good and generous Creator, one who has been making history for 13.7 billion years. When we look up at the skies and see the vastness of creation, we are reminded of our human limitations. But as small as we are, God has made each of us in his glorious image, people who can think, create, and love each other as he has loved us.
Creator God, help me to show your wisdom, creativity and compassion in all that I do. Amen.