New Visions of God’s Creation by Robert J. Schneider

Today the Atlantis crew released the Hubble Space Telescope from its robot arm, and watched it slowly drift away. For four days the astronauts replaced cameras, gyroscopes, batteries, and other equipment in order to make Hubble serviceable again, giving it ten to fifteen more years of life and making it an even more powerful instrument of exploration than it was when launched nearly twenty years ago.

In its years of service Hubble’s telescopes have transfixed viewers with images of the universe never seen before. If seeing is believing then we Christians have been blessed with much more to believe in: views of God’s creation that were unimaginable a quarter century ago (http://hubblesite.org/gallery/). Untold billions of galaxies, with billions of planets; galaxies forming, colliding, dying; enormous gas clouds birthing new stars—all of these magnificent and inspiring sights have given us a window on the universe unlike any we have had before. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows God’s handiwork,” that cry of praise from the psalmist (19:1), has taken on an even deeper meaning for us staring in awe at the depth and breath of these heavens and of God’s glory that shines in its countless lights. Now Hubble can show us even more of the cosmos, more views that surely will take our breath away. How blest we are to live at this time!

These images have brought so much more understanding of the Creation, yet they have not taken away the mystery of it all--if anything they have brought us deeper into that mystery. They invite us to believe even more deeply that Holy Mystery dwells in every hydrogen atom fusing with another, in every planet given the conditions for life, and in every living creature on this planet, past, present, and future, that makes more vivid the web of life. Hubble has shown us what the author of Job (ch. 38-42) knew by faith, that this universe is ultimately incomprehensible. It is good to seek understanding and enlarge knowledge, and rejoice in every new awesome sight that Hubble may reveal, as Job’s God rejoiced and took such pleasure in his creation. But in the end we can only cover our mouths and stand mute before this unfathomable world.