How did we get here? What's the answer because the answer tells a great deal about us, our substance and purpose here. For instance, moving to Winters only tells you part of who I am. But revealing where I have come from, where I have been that lead me to this place reveals me. I believe the same can be applied here. But first, let's look briefly at some of the most common thoughts that try to answer this question.
Natural Selection. This is a belief that nature has "weeded" out life that can and can not live here. This theory says it's a process over generations that selects traits which make reproduction and life easier to become more common. This is evolution, at least a part of it, where over these generations life changes and adapts to take on the traits of the environment to live and reproduce. This belief might answer our question like this: we got here because nature evolved and moved in such a way that we were selected and became the dominant life here.
Big Bang. Now this theory may not directly attempt to explain how we got here, but it is a belief that is looked at as the beginning and eventual leading to you and me being here. This idea says that the universe at some point in the past was so dense (bunched together) that an 'explosion' happened that began moving the universe away. Essentially, without going into more scientific language, the universe as we know it was set into motion and worlds, stars and eventually us were created out of this bang.
Creationism. This is a belief that something or someone of a higher power and intellect created our universe, world and us. Science, from my view, doesn't look at the 'who' necessarily in this viewpoint, but rather looks at the 'how' this supernatural being did it.
In addition to Mt. Rushmore, one of Gutzin Borglum's great works as a sculptor is the head of Lincoln in the Capitol at Washington. He cut it from a large, square block of stone in his studio. One day, when the face of Lincoln was just becoming recognizable out of the stone, a young girl was visiting the studio with her parents. She looked at the half-done face of Lincoln, her eyes registering wonder and astonishment. She stared at the piece for a moment then ran to the sculptor. "Is that Abraham Lincoln?" she asked. "Yes." "Well," said the little girl, "how in the world did you know he was inside there?"
This is the answer. You and I got here because God put us here. You and I got here because God designed us from nothing. You and I got here because God sculpted us into the image and likeness of the sculptor.
We are created beings and knowing who created us, I believe, brings substance and purpose to us. If nature just lined up perfectly and we evolved into who we are today then our purpose is clear. We have none. If we are here because of a bang then our purpose is clear. We have none. However, if we were created and not just created by some super being, but created by the loving, caring, sustaining God then our purpose is clear. We live to reflect the image of our creator.
We are created in the image of God. God stood at the beginning of time (as he is the creator of time) and looked into the void and thought of you. His thought before darkness and light, before water and sky was you. It was me. God did not go into creation with a "let's see what happens along the way" mentality. He didn't form our world and then think to himself, "Now what should I put there?" No. He thought of us first. We are the crown jewel of his creation work. We are the reason creation took place. We are the thought that moved the creator to act.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 shares God's crown of creation. God didn't create to be busy, he created because he saw us. He created to build relationships and that we may be reflect the creator in his own creation. You and I reflect God. I believe physically, but much more than that we reflect God's spiritual image.
You may have read some of Lee Strobel's "Case for..." books. In his "Case for a Creator" Lee investigates the evidences that creation has all around us that there is a creator behind creation. These books have been turned into documentary's, following the investigations of Strobel to build a scientific case for God. At one point in the documentary "Case for a Creator" Strobel says, "That by doing science we find God." I think that is true. In science we find God, his fingerprints the and the overwhelming evidence of his creations.
Now, I don't think science answers the question "How did we get here?" I think science helps us see that God is the answer. Here is a brief part of Strobel's documentary from YouTube:
I think we can look beyond God's Word and still get the same answer: God is how we got here! We are people here because God created us and placed us here. We could investigate and study again and again and see the remarkable details of life. And I believe we would discover again and again (no matter how scientifically smart we are) and see the complexities and intricacy of life. That points to God creating us.
As created beings from God, placed here by God, we then see our purpose here. We are created people of God. Built, designed in the very image of the creator. Out of nothing he began to create us, form us, sculpt us into his own image. With that creation we have a choice to live with purpose. We have the choice to live in the image of our God, to live up to the words of Christ and "Be Holy" or live as if everything just mixed up perfectly right for us to be here. We have the choice to live as purposed created beings who strive to be with their creator or be people who strive to live for nothing beyond a big bang.
Someone once said that "God is in the small stuff." It's true especially when you look at creation, when you look at you and me. How did we get here? We got here because God created us and wanted us here. Now, let's live as created, purposed, wanted beings!
Spiritual FAQ#3 will be Sunday evening July 18 as we answer "Is there life after death?" A post will follow shortly after.
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