Wednesday 19 September 2012

Background

I had the huge privilege of hearing Professor John Polkinghorne speak a few weeks ago. He isboth a theoretical physicist, and an ordained Anglican priest. Infact, he gave up his work at Cambridge University to be ordained.Polkinghorne opened up much of science's mysteries to me (ascientific no-hoper) in a way that opened my mind up to all sortsof new possibilities about the universe, and, through his educatingprocess, I felt that my faith was affirmed through his explanationsand his own understanding.

There is often seen to be conflict between science and faith,but today's passage helps me to acknowledge just how science is agift to all of us, to help, and to start to begin to fathom theunfathomable! Not so long ago, I was asked my opinion on prayer. Iprobably gave some sort of stock answer about a conversationbetween us and God (which is still an important point), but wasthen further questioned on what either we or God might gain fromthis process. We talked some more, and we both became quite excitedabout the prospect that as we pray, we might gain a greaterunderstanding of God's nature and character. This process could ofcourse take place for ever, and we'd never gain a proper or fullunderstanding, but it is in the act of doing so that we realisefurther who we are called to be, in the light of God's lovingnature.

This passage suggests to me that Isaiah is experiencing a newunderstanding of God, which is explained both in terms of just howAlmighty God appears to him when he contemplates this idea, and howhe simply cannot truly contemplate God's existence. While Isaiahuses these thoughts to help inspire him further, it can sometimesbe tough to read these kinds of passages. Where Isaiah finds truemeaning or understanding, we might find existential angst, or afear or terror of just how vast everything is. Yet, we can bereassured that "he will feed his flock like a shepherd, gatherthem, carry them and gently lead them" (v. 11). These words are ahuge comfort to me, when I have thought too much, or worried toomuch, or filled myself with fear, because it is Almighty God, (whoknows and understands everything) who will always be alongside us,and can guide us away from those fears, if we truly believe. Thatisn't to say that we will never be afraid again, or will never comeacross trouble, but we can be sure that the God of Isaiah, the Godof history, the God of such incredible and unimaginable magnitudewill be alongside us, fighting our corner with us. What a blessingthat we can know this to be true!

To Ponder

• If science and faith are compatible, what can we (as believers)take from this relationship?
• How might existential angst be tempered by images of God as theshepherd?