Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Nearly every person asks these questions at some point in our lives. The search for their answers has motivated some of history’s greatest minds to consider all manner of possibilities.
Because we all bump into reality every day, it nudges us to make some assumptions about life and its meaning. We were born into an incredibly complex and beautiful world that demands an explanation as to its origin. We came into being as a result of highly complicated ovulation, fertilization, pregnancy, and birth processes that could have gone awry anywhere along the way. How did this happen?
As we look around us, we see our family members who often bear some resemblance due to intricate DNA coding. We also observe neighbors who are very different in height, skin color, and language. As we study human history, we encounter great leaders and cruel despots as well as human flourishing and collapse. How do we make sense of all this?
The explanations to these questions are as numerous as needles on a pine tree. Many philosophers, theorists, and shamans have offered their own takes on reality. Some even deny that reality exists in spite of what our five senses confront us with every moment of every day.
As is true with any investigation, it’s important to follow the evidence where it leads without being blinded by others’ opinions. This is nearly impossible since we all carry preconceived notions and deep-seated beliefs. At some point, however, each person owes it to their existence to conduct their own unbiased thorough examination.
The highly complex and beautiful world around us argues for a maker. Order never arises from disorder and it is beyond comprehension that all the interconnected pieces of Creation, from squids to stars and from ants to asteroids, arose by chance. The Bible actually provides a logical explanation as to where everything, including us, came from.
We also encounter multiple layers of rock bent and twisted with fossilized plants and animals embedded within them. In some places like Yellowstone National Park, petrified trees “grow” vertically up through several rock layers. There are marine fossils on top of earth’s highest peaks. How can all of these phenomena be combined into a single explanation that includes all evidence? Once again, the Bible provides an answer telling of a global flood that covered the highest mountains and that would have buried living things in sediment that hardened into stone.
We also see broken aspects of Creation including suffering, pain, and death that we all experience. Where did they originate? Once again, the Bible reveals that these were never part of God’s original plan but were ushered in by the disobedience of the first humans. Those individuals are the grandparents of us all which genetic studies now confirm through DNA links to common ancestors. Sadly, just as the Bible says, the same tendencies to disobey our Creator that Adam and Eve had have been passed along to all their descendants which also explains the hatred, corruption, and sin we not only see around us, but that we all know resides within our own hearts.
Various skin colors as well as language variations are also explained in the first 12 chapters of Genesis as are the roots of world powers and kingdoms still prevalent today. The origins and importance of music, art, beauty, time, and more are also laid out in Scripture for those willing to read and believe.
Every person owes it to him or herself to make their own search of religions and even atheism to see if any adequately explain reality. As you do, be sure to consult the Bible for it is not only consistent with all we observe, feel, and know, but it also tells us where we are headed, why we are here, and of God’s great grace. Check it out for yourself. Blessings, George