Exploring God’s World

My husband and I were browsing in a rock-and-fossil shop when I overheard a woman grumbling about the plaques identifying the fossils as millions of years old. Clearly she was someone, perhaps a Christian, who believed the earth was much younger than the fossils implied. It seemed her attachment to a young Earth inhibited her enjoyment of the fascinating collection on display.

I was once in the same boat. Though third-grade science had inspired in me a love of beautiful rocks and gemstones, I struggled to reconcile their scientifically established old ages with the young-earth view I held. Then, in college, I landed an internship at RTB and discovered that not all sincere, Bible-honoring Christians hold the same position on the age of the earth.

What a relief! Once-threatening scientific tenets, such as the big bang and the fossil record, now supported my faith. The old-earth position not only provided firmer grounding for my trust in Scripture, but also helped me feel excitement, rather than suspicion or anger, over new scientific discoveries and lessened the defensiveness I’d felt when encountering any aspect of evolutionary theory. I can rejoice with confidence that nature demonstrates God’s handiwork.

And now that I have a daughter of my own, it’s important that my husband and I are at peace regarding the relationship between science and faith. At two-and-a-half, our kiddo is already a curious explorer, fascinated by butterflies, dirt, and lizards. The last thing I want is to inculcate in her a fear of science—and, thus, possibly inhibit her zeal for God’s wonderful creation.

This year, Reasons newsletter will present a series of articles designed to encourage families to explore God’s world together. We hope these will inspire joy in creation and in studying creation—something that parents need to pass on to their children to help them grow in their love of the Creator and to equip them to share their faith.

By Maureen Moser