June 10, 2016 - Science and Religion

At the mountain of God, Horeb,
Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter.
But the word of the LORD came to him,
“Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by.”
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD—
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.

1 Kings 19:9

Many believe science and religion are incompatible because much of what was previously considered miraculous -  cataclysmic weather, earthquakes, firestorms – is now well understood to be a part of the natural world.  But seeing God as the explanation for presently unexplainable events is not the Judeo-Christian tradition, as this reading demonstrates.  The God of Scripture is not the God of Gaps.