Thought for the day – Monday 4 May

Thought for the day - Monday 4 May
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May 04, 2020
in Minister's Daily Message
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Dear All
This being Star Wars Day, ‘May the fourth be with you!’
Anyone having taken or are currently taking their Standard grade biology will be familiar with the lessons on the structures of animal and plant cells. The importance of the studies and discoveries of Gregor Mendel, the 19th-century scientist and Augustinian friar recognised as the first geneticist, will also be taught with his now-famous round and crinkly peas experiments.
In the studies of biology, geology, geography, astronomy and with other sciences we encounter numerous and weighty questions that are not easily answered. Many great men and women down the centuries set their minds to tackling such major and intriguing issues and continue to do so today.
In biology, there is always the questions that arise in respect of evolution or creation, when considering the world’s great variety of inhabitants along with its plenteous flora and fauna. How, why and when are the questions that stay with us, well they do with me at any rate. Creationists can say, and some do, in a manner of speaking, God made it, I believe it and that settles it. In evolutionary, scientific terms it’s not that simple.
Charles Darwin with his famous trip on the Beagle and the time he spent researching on the Galapagos Islands needs no explanation and comment from me except to say that he did not set out to disprove God and the bible’s account of how ‘things came to be’. He was a scientist exploring the natural world. His findings, however, changed the established world view at the time.
People sometimes say that his work is ‘only a theory’. ‘Theory’, however, is a word used in science and doesn’t mean what it is generally taken to mean in its everyday use. For example, an apple will definitely fall from a tree, it won’t travel upwards, this is an observable and repeatable fact, how it does so is theoretical ie, the mechanisms and science behind its falling. I hadn’t intended going down the science avenue this morning and I’m taking a bit longer, though no less meaningful I hope, to come to my main point.
The bible is not a science book, the bible, God’s word to us, does not explain many of the questions we may have unless of course, you answer ‘Jesus’ and ‘God’ to every question in the way that children often do in church. The God of the ‘gaps’.
It was really our ‘dominion’ that I wanted us to think about today and hopefully, we will, eventually. Robert Burns’ observations of life and his knowledge of the bible are brilliantly woven in his poetry. I am not a particular or fanatical reader of Burns or anyone else in for that matter but I find many of his words very moving and profound. Take his ‘Ode to a mouse’ and these words from it,
‘I’m truly sorry man’s dominion has broken nature’s social union’
An justifies that ill opinion what makes thee startle
At me, thy poor earth born companion
an fellow mortal.’
Are not these words heartfelt? Burns was addressing a seemingly insignificant little field mouse that he had disturbed, ruining its nest while ploughing a field. What insight to pair in his mind, what he was doing in ploughing, and the effect it had on one of God’s creatures. I guess he must have had in mind the scriptures that we have before us for our thoughts today and his musings are quite profound. Many of our deeds as human beings are indeed ruinous.
The evident ‘dominion’ abuse, we have exacted on our planet is alarming, all it seems, with biblical warrant. In the light of our reading from Genesis, how do we view the current issues we face today. What do we have to say about global warming, animal welfare, pollution and the environment for example? These are the matters for our thoughts today.
Today I ask you to think/meditate on these things.
God bless you!

Jim

JBoag@churchofscotland.org.uk

 

GENESIS 1: 20-31

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and overall the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

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