DISCLAIMER: FOR THE NEXT 8 WEEKS (WEEKS OF APRIL 11–MAY 27), I’M GOING TO THROW OUT A TOUGH FAITH QUESTION. WE WILL UNPACK IT A BIT, AND I HOPE WE CAN ALL *SIMMER* ON IT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND FIND MOMENTS TO TALK WITH GOD, OURSELVES AND EACH OTHER ABOUT THE TOPIC. SPECIAL THANKS TO SPARKHOUSE’S REFORM CURRICULUM FOR GUIDANCE. READY? GO!

Scientific truth and God’s truth are really confusing to figure out…which is the THE truth!? Well, truth: we need both. Let’s dig in and see what scholars have been struggling over for hundreds of years. Who knows, maybe you can figure out this mystery!

Bible Fun Facts (& 5 things)

1. The Bible is a collection of 66 books, representing these genres: historical narrative, law, poetry/songs, literature, prophecy, letters, gospels, apocalyptic lit, and wisdom.
2. The Bible uses hyperbole, symbolism and personification as techniques to communicate a message.
   • Hyperbole–a non-literal statement showing an obvious exaggeration (“When I tripped and fell on stage during the musical, I died from embarrassment.”); see Matthew 5:29 – If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.
   • Symbolism–using marks, words or figures to represent something or someone else (“My pillow is as fluffy as a cloud.”); see John 4:13-14 – Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.’
   • Personification–giving human traits to nonhuman things (“The sky cried out with rain.”); see Psalm 77:16 – The waters saw you, God, and they writhed.
   • In science, the use of hyperbole, symbolism and personification (especially in technical writing and reporting) is strongly discouraged. Instead, a literal and precise approach are the cornerstones of scientific research, discovery and theorizing. There’s a difference in the angle and approach of the Bible and Science, see?
3. Think about how you view the world. And life.  >>> Who influences/d your views?
   • Remember when people thought the Earth was flat? Historical scientific understandings influence how we see the world (even when we were so misled back then). But there’s a lot of science that is so, so right (and we have evidence to prove it). 
     • What do you know about the theories of evolution? Why might you believe we evolved from apes?
     • What do you know about God and the Bible? Why might you believe we were created as we are by God in six, 24-hour days?
     • How does it feel to be defending something you might not be totally sure about yet? Is it worth revisiting this topic occasionally?
4. Our views of Science and Christianity evolve (heh) over time, just like our view of Christmas. (Christmas was probably a different deal when you were 4 years old; the sights and sounds and smells might be similar for you today, but your view has changed and evolved over time. And, YES, Christmas is still full of wonder and *magic/miracles.*)
5. Take a breath. It’s all going to be fine. The stars are shining at night, and God continues to love you (see last week’s blog post).

• And enjoy this quote, from Sparkhouse’s re:form:

• The truths revealed to us in the Bible don’t have to be threatened by scientific facts. You can believe the message of Genesis–that God alone created everything–and also accept the scientific consensus that our universe has been expanding and evolving for billions of years, and that the evolution of humankind is part of that process.”

Keep thinking, keep asking questions, keep praying and wondering…it’s our job as humans!    =  )    And, if you want to check out a guy who’s paving the way for Science and Faith discussions…check out Science Mike! He’s really nice and funny and asks great questions (teens & college students tend to flock to him, but he’s for adults, too). Science Mike builds bridges between science and faith, and he’ll leave your brain spinning with hope and discovery through his videos, podcasts and blogs. (And he’ll answer questions you submit.) A bit about him:

Happy Monday. Now go explore God’s love for you!

~Laurel