Understanding Nature

Understanding Nature Part 1: What (I Think) God Wants You to Know! Some people don’t understand Nature, Feel death and pain prove there’s no God Or if there is He is a monster, His empathy for us a fraud. They say all of Nature’s uncaring, No reason to posit a God, No Creator under the mattress, And people who think so are odd. Most atheists aren’t open minded, More dumb than believers they curse, They live their whole lives without Bible, Rejecting its comfort and Verse. Should Bible be only man’s wisdom, Through years’ mighty lessons were learned, But atheist alienation Means lots of their fingers get burned. No scientist thinks Nature’s plan-less Though plan’s authorship is unknown If not His plan, perhaps another? For truth in the Bible’s not stone. Though Christ taught us words of His Father A parable’s not really truth! But teaches God’s will to the masses As parent might speak to a youth. If you are not God should you grumble That scripture is not always clear? Rejoice truth exists and be grateful All wisdom is not that austere.  The Golden Rule’s just one example Of Law that brings Grace to your life Although there are some who reject it The truth of it cuts like a knife. The beauty that all see in Nature Can’t hide the fact devil exists Man’s freedom to seek his own power Explains why such evil persists. God’s beauty is He is consistent, Tomorrow the same as today, Though doubter’s fear their death’s departure Their brain is just on holiday! Part 2: The Value of Pain and Suffering. God created all in His image Which surely implies that God learns And overturns rigid believers With all of their stagnant patterns. And who will say God didn’t suffer When Jesus was nailed to the cross, Though child’s death is greatest pain man knows Can man really measure His loss? Don’t feelings define our existence? Who wouldn’t be lost without theirs And trying to live life without them Like solitaire musical chairs. Are feelings a curse if we own them? Is death all that bad if there’s soul? Why wouldn’t our death be like waking In heaven or hell, what’s your goal?  If souls don’t exist what’s your problem? Best guess, we’ve just one time around, Your life will be just what you make it And then you’re at peace in the ground. Whatever you think of my logic, Your feelings are gold on this earth, Protect you much more than they hurt you, Are all that establishes worth. Best say a prayer now for this blessing If God’s there to listen or not Give feelings a home where your heart lives For they can still help you a lot! How better could God honor soul’s life Than sharing His feelings in love And though we see through the glass darkly We’re still tasting stuff God’s made of. And suffering really is measure Of feeling’s temp beyond the norm But even when it gets excessive Its intent is still to inform. So rather than choosing depression Consider that you’re not alone God graced to survive any battle Though this life is really just loan. In “getting” our soul’s evolution We start to claim kinship with God, In valuing faith over knowledge We let go of ego’s facade. And Science itself is a model. A new form of God’s poetry Its parables hint at His wisdom To save us from idolatry. The wisdom of God is your servant That’s how you can know it’s from Him, Vibration that touches your heart strings Makes earthly noise sound like a hymn. Part 3: God’s Nature Is Evolution If God is real surely His Nature Is always in strict harmony With everything He has created For truth cannot be fantasy! And Science has value like Bible For both are creations of God Attempts to dis one or the other Unseemly and really quite odd. But Bible is subject to man’s whims, While Science bows just to man’s test, Man’s interpretation his Gospel, Agreement where scientists rest. While men think that gravity’s certain New science calls “fictitious” force As answers from Science grow subtle Man’s prophets just ply stale discourse. It’s “Big Bang” that sparks evolution Though hydrogen’s all that exists Condensing at last, growing massive Till heat born of structure resists. And one by one stars are ignited That age, fuel depleted, explode A new element evolution And chemistry on space unload. This process done over and over Until worlds and planets are formed Where chemicals solvent in water By atomic rules are transformed And life starts evolving like magic As lightning strikes spark God’s intent, Unstoppable new evolution Where life is revealed as God’s rent. From stardust man’s cradle emerges, From stardust man’s form took its shape, God’s plan, evolution from get-go, Bacteria, fish and then ape. It’s vanity you think you suffer It’s vanity you think God’s dead It’s vanity you feel deserted As you lie alone in your bed. This world was created to serve you As you were created to serve In service you’ll find true fulfillment As you give what you would deserve. Brian Johnston March 8, 2016