Psalm 139:14a – I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (KJV)

I love studying living things, and I was privileged to have a career in biological research. I used microscopes and microsurgery to examine the structure and function of organs in tiny critters, like insects and wood lice, and I was always amazed at how intricate the mechanics of living things can be. I also taught human physiology courses for students entering into the health sciences, and like King David, I would marvel at how the human body is wonderfully and intricately made. Some people admire the Mona Lisa and what the gifted artist, Leonardo da Vinci, needed to do to create this masterpiece. I marvel at the biological machines whose functions attest to our Creator Who brought life into existence.

Being a Christian in the biological sciences, I am also aware of popular atheists who use their faith in science to deny the existence of God, whereas science has inspired me to worship the One Who made us in His image. I recently wrote about Stephen Hawking and his denial that God existed. Another such atheist was Carl Sagan, who became a celebrity astronomer with his popular science program in the 1980s, Cosmos, and his novel, Contact, which was made into a major motion picture after his death. Rather than believe that the universe was created for us, he said, "For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." He viewed the cosmos as a masterpiece, as is the Mona Lisa, but rather than acknowledge the master Creator, he gave the universe the ability to create itself. He worshipped the creation, not the Creator. As he said, "We are the representatives of the cosmos; we are an example of what hydrogen atoms can do, given 15 billion years of cosmic evolution."

Carl Sagan died in 1996, just 62 years old. He left at least one legacy based on his atheism: the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). These studies use vast resources listening to electromagnetic radiation and looking for other life forms in our massive universe. According to faith in evolution, since life arose by chance, it must have evolved in other worlds.

As Christians, we know that there is an Extraterrestrial Intelligence, but we don't need any technology to discover this truth. He has revealed Himself in His Word, the Bible, and in His works in nature. Let us listen carefully for His still small voice (1 Kings 19:12), and rejoice in His presence.

Prayer: Dear Lord, may Your peace rule our hearts, and may Your words richly dwell within us. You are our Creator, Saviour, and friend, and will be there at our end, when we will be with You in glory. Amen.