Evolution

Breathing in, I see myself as clear water.
Breathing out, I reflect all that is.

Reflecting on the apparent divide between religion and science in America it seems natural to simply stop and think awhile. It's been a long time since I've taken a science class, and science has taken a long journey of discovery since I've attended high school or college. There are many things in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and other sciences that I poorly understood 20 years ago. There is a truism in science fiction that anything that is poorly understood by a "primitive culture" is seen as magic or the work of the devil. That is certainly true here! I am amazed at plasma TVs and Tivos and I still don't really know how my computer works....

Historically, whenever scientists made new leaps of understanding, the powerful religious leaders of the day tried to suppress this knowlege because they were afraid of losing their grip on the masses. For example, Galileo was forced to recant his discovery that the earth was not the center of the universe. This did not change the truth, only delayed when the public learned it.

And so it will be the same forever. Scientists will continue to study the nature of the universe and relay what they discover. The ignorant and small minded will continue to say that they deny the existance of God. But where is God if not in every part of creation? Even the process of "evolution" cries out the presence of God in our lives every day - evolution is the voice of God saying "learn your lessons, change your ways, or you will die". God's voice is not a large booming voice from on high, it is that still, small voice that you ignore until it's too late.

Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment.
Breathing out, I know it is a wonderful moment.

Guided meditation exercises from The Blooming of a Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh
ISBN 0-8070-1222-X
Beacon Press Boston