Where Science Ends and Theology Begins

"So why are we all here??"

Every Sunday evening McMurdo hosts a science lecture. These lectures are open to anyone on station. They are usually led by scientists doing cutting-edge research in Antarctica that particular week.

These lectures cover a variety of topics such as the birth cycle of female Weddell seals, 3-D photography of icebergs, long-duration weather balloons, LIDAR, the effects of global warming or global cooling on ice. Bla bla bla.

 Some lectures are fascinating and phrased in layman's term for unscientific morons like myself. Others are detailed, esoteric lectures geared toward Einstein-esque colleagues....complete snooze fests.

But I attend EVERY lecture.

One Sunday evening at the end of a particularly boring science lecture about phytoplankton (Antarctic algae), a meek young woman raises her hand and asks a question. (I promise it wasn't me).

"So what you are saying is there is nothing we can do to prevent phytoplankton from disappearing in Antarctica???"

She continues hesitantly, "After the phytoplankton disappears, the Antarctic Krill will die off, and all Antarctic ocean life will disappear? And after all Antarctic ocean life disappears the migratory patterns of all other ocean life will be affected? Then the Antarctic ice shelf will no longer be insulated by microorganisms, and ice-melting will increase exponentially?"

"Yes." replies the scientist dryly and dispassionately. "No amount of human intervention can stop this."

"Then why are you here, and what is the point of this study if it is not reversible?" The young woman asks with concern.

"Why are any of us here?" The scientist retorts, "if not to objectively observe nature without interfering with it? This chain reaction is already happening, and there is nothing we can do about it."

At this point I woke up....What the...? Did this famous scientist just admit that the earth is going to crap whether or not humanity changes its ways? Sounds like someone isn't going to get funding from NSF next year to continue his research in Antarctica.

Unfortunately this was one of those science lectures I was day-dreaming of sandy beaches and puppies so I didn't catch the details of his convoluted graphs and thesis. But I was shocked by his candidness. Most members of the scientific community claim that the human race is progressively getting better, and we can control the destiny of our own earth if we behave ourselves.

I left the lecture feeling slightly amused by the dead-pan despair of this scientist. But I was also filled with sadness over the future of our earth. (This is an ongoing ambivalent reaction of mine after every McMurdo science lecture).

But that evening after cracking open my Bible, I serendipitously read Romans 8:21-22:

"...creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

I was reminded that the "winding down" of our natural world is all part of God's master plan. Not only does He have a plan of redemption for His children, but He has a redemption plan for nature.

The ice groans when it shifts and melts from excessive global warming. The phytoplankton is decaying. The sea life is in bondage. Antarctica is in pain.

But the Lord LOVES this earth and all the penguins and icebergs and phytoplankton in it!

He will rescue and restore this earth to its former glory when He returns.
_____________________________________________________________________

Living in Antarctica made me realize that scientists and theologians are actually more aligned than we think.

(One puts a period at the end of this statement):

"The earth is going to crap."

(The other puts an ellipsis after this statement):

"The earth is going to crap....but Someone will come save it."