Thursday, April 17, 2008

Life, Death and Darwin

The last couple of days I have spent countless time pondering the beautiful intricacy of life.
I know of few things more heart-pounding, more soul-gripping than watching your child come into this world.
Every part of the journey is absolutely spectacular - from the miracle of conception to the painful but awesome process of birth.
As each of my children were born, I couldn't help but wonder how so many people observe this miracle of life and yet their spiritual center remains unaffected, unmoved. Doctors. Nurses. Mothers. Fathers.
How can someone not be driven to an awe of a mighty, wise, beautiful God who creates us all?
How can someone believe that life in all of its wonder evolved over time by chance?

This lead me to consider Charles Darwin as I held my sleeping newborn the other night (I know, a little weird). I began to wonder if he had ever held a newborn baby on his chest. Had he ever observed the mystery of life?

As I researched his life briefly, I discovered the answer to that: yes.
Darwin had 10 children, and history tells us he was a devoted family man.
Yet my cursory study of his life also uncovered another interesting thing - Darwin knew the painful mystery of death.
Charles Darwin lost two of his children while they were infants, and another of his daughters died at the age of ten.
Many people believe that the deaths of his children pushed Darwin overboard into the sea of skepticism, and this was when the religious faith he had as a child dissipated.

It is no wonder Darwin continued to make sense of this world with only the tools of observable science, and he ignored the Biblical concept of a loving Creator God. How could God be loving if he allowed such atrocities?

Death is one of the many injustices we experience, one of the many cruel effects of the curse.
And yet we still bring our children into this world, knowing they will face pain and heartache.

That is why I am thankful there is a loving Creator God. A God who formed my little daughter. A God who gives us grace to navigate life and death.

No comments:

Post a Comment