12/6/15
Yesterday,
I was watching a documentary on television about how Einstein’s E=mc₂ theory revolutionized the way scientists understand the
universe. His theory of relativity intrigued me, and I started to think
of the amazing power that it took to create everything in our universe. While I
don’t claim to be a scientist who fully understands Einstein’s theory, I do
know that it involves the speed of light, mass, and kinetic energy. I was
curious about what I was hearing on t.v., so I decided to look up a little more
information about Einstein’s discovery.
The
Encyclopedia Brittanica’s Blog gives a basic overview of what E=mc₂ means. I was especially intrigued with the speed of
light and electromagnetic radiation. An excerpt from the blog is as
follows:
In E = mc2 Einstein concluded that mass (m)
and kinetic
energy (E) are equal, since the speed of
light(c2) is constant. In other words, mass can be changed into
energy, and energy can be changed into mass. The former process is
demonstrated by the production of nuclear
energy—particles are smashed and their energy is captured. The latter
process, the conversion of energy into mass, is demonstrated by the process
of particle
acceleration, in which low-mass particles zipping through a device collide
to form larger particles.
The inclusion of the speed of light in Einstein’s equation
was based on the principles of classical mechanics and electromagnetic
radiation, the latter of which is pure
energy. Electromagnetic radiation is constant—it always travels at the
speed of light, or 186,000 miles/sec (300,000 km/sec).
(2010, E=mc₂: The Unforgettable Equation of Einstein’s Miracle Year
(Picture Essay of the Day))
While I
won’t go into the science of it much more, I do want to include one more quote
from the blog pertaining to special relativity, which says it is…“revealed that
the speed of light is a limit that can be approached but not reached by any
material object; it is the origin of the most famous equation in science, E=mc₂; and it has led to other tantalizing outcomes, such as the
twin paradox” (2010, http://blogs.britannica.com/2010/09/e-mc2-the-unforgettable-equation-of-einsteins-miracle-year-picture-essay-of-the-day/).
You’re
probably wondering why I included the brief information about Einstein’s
theory. After all, the title of this blog doesn’t exactly fit with the
quotes I’ve given. I’ll be honest, while I’ve always been interested in
science, I was never exactly an Einstein in school when studying the subject
myself. Still, after watching the documentary about Einstein, I started
to think about what the purest power is in our universe. Above, I
underlined the words “pure energy” because the purest energy I am able to think
of is the energy of light, and, as a Christian, I automatically associate light
with God and with good reason. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:5 (NIV)
that “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all,” and in Revelation
21:23 it says, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for
the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp (Lamb is referring to
Jesus for any who may not know)” (https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=God+is+light&qs_version=NIV).
Being
that the Bible is inspired by God and written down by men, I trust that its
words are “infallible” as both 2 Peter 1:19 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 state (see www.gotquestions.org/Bible-infallible.html).
Further, the Bible (and history) testifies to the accuracy of all the
prophecies written within (2 Peter 1:20-21) being that all of them have come
from God and are true, though the ones in Revelation haven’t happened yet,
showing further proof of its truthfulness. While I do believe in God’s
Word as truth, I still haven’t ever been able to understand how God Himself
came into existence. My son has asked me the same question a couple of
times too, but I didn’t know how to explain it to him since I wasn’t sure;
however, that didn’t stop me from thinking of plausible explanations and trying
to research an answer that made sense. I do know that God is light, and I
also know “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and light and love go hand in hand.
Love is
universal and spans across time and space. Every person knows what love
is even if his or her version of it is skewed, though some people are able to
love others easier than others are able to show it. Love burns away all
impurities, and its power cannot be contained. It’s an everlasting gift
that Heather Bixler says is “used to bridge the disconnection in the world”
because “when walking in love we desire the best for people” (2015, described
in the description of Love:
Four Week Mini Bible Study). Love’s burning light will never be
lessened, and true love in action means sacrifice, light, purity, and strength
when all else fails. Darkness cannot defeat it because darkness is the
absence of light; it’s the struggle of mankind in this fallen world. Love
is not bound by time, just as God isn’t bound, and its (His) power is so
utterly pure that all that isn’t pure is burned away by His overwhelming
spiritual energy (like the energy in Einstein’s theory) until the only thing
that is left is God.
Love is
sustaining to people, and it sustains itself (Himself) as well. There
couldn’t ever be a time when it didn’t exist (and therefore God) since
unconditional love can’t be snuffed out of existence. It just IS.
Just as God has many names, such as I AM (Exodus 3:14), He also just IS.
God and love are transposable, and just as the Trinity is in perfect
relationship to itself, creation itself is interchangeable with love and light,
unlimited by anything or anyone. Just as electromagnetic radiation is “pure
light” (2010, Encyclopedia Britannica Blog) as well as “constant” so too is God
(Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8). He’s on a different wavelength than the rest of
us, yet just because we can’t see Him with the naked eye, it doesn’t mean He
hasn’t always been there.
Love, and
therefore God, demands the creation of something better that isn’t marred by
imperfection. Darkness, on the other hand, destroys everything around it,
and its purpose is to suck everyone crossing its path into its black hole.
Even with all the different belief systems out there, everyone wishes to be
accepted for who they are flaws and all. I’ve never met one person who
doesn’t want this. Unconditional love, the kind that comes from God (and
through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ) brings everyone it (He) touches
freedom, the freedom to be who they are. It’s the universal language everyone
understands. As I said before, love cannot be contained. It would be like
trying to trap the wind in a jar; it can’t be done. Since I know God is
love, I know He has always existed.
I once
heard even a drop of light illuminates the darkness. God is our Creator, and
only love is able to create something in a way that leaves a person
instinctively knowing only love could have created it. The human race is
proof of this (Genesis 1:26). I personally don’t even think the reason
for how it was done is as important as why it was. Granted, scientists
like Einstein would probably argue otherwise. Still, scientists know
about the power in a microscopic atom and the energy it contains. Our
bodies are more than just the physical part containing the energy inside of
us. We are vessels who learn, love, and live. Yet, when we are
released from it in death, our energy (spirit) still exists like God’s energy
does showing us that transformation is possible, such as the transformation
between mass and energy in Einstein's theory.
The
knowledge of human beings is limited by our world’s view and because the way we
were designed by our Creator doesn’t allow for all the answers while we are
here. I realize that I can’t fully explain how I feel. It’s like my mind
is trying to move through sludge struggling to find the truth about how God
exists and then attempting to explain it. I know I can never do Him
justice. I do know in my heart and after experiencing unconditional love
from both Jesus and my husband that nothing can warp it or take it away.
The mere memory of it warms me and stays with me like an old friend. Just
as Einstein’s theory of relativity “revealed that the speed of light is a limit
that can be approached but not reached by any material object” (see above),
then through the very nature of Who God is we can, in our limited view,
understand the wisdom that He has always been there even when we can't
physically touch Him.
References
Biblegateway. Webpage. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=God+is+love&qs_version=NIV
&
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=God+is+light&qs_version=NIV
& https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+23%3A19%2CHebrews+13%3A8%2CJames+1%3A17&version=NIV
Bixler, H. (2015). Love:
Four week mini Bible study [Nook Edition]. Retrieved from Barnes and Noble
shop.
Encyclopedia Britannica Editors. (2010). E=mc₂: The
unforgettable equation of Einstein’s miracle year (Picture essay of the day). Retrieved
from http://blogs.britannica.com/2010/09/e-mc2-the-unforgettable-equation-of-einsteins-miracle-year-picture-essay-of-the-day/
Got
Questions?org. What does it mean that the Bible is infallible? What is Biblical
infallibility?. Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-infallible.html
& http://www.gotquestions.org/I-AM.html
& http://www.gotquestions.org/image-of-God.html
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