Looking Up
In May, we had the opportunity to look up at the sky (or at our computer and TV screens) as SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts into the heavens. In the midst of such disheartening times here on Earth, we could, at least for a few minutes, gaze up in awe and allow ourselves the luxury of contemplating the wonders, mysteries, and possibilities of that place beyond the clouds, beyond the atmosphere…that place “up there.”
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There are those who may be of the opinion that exploring space and learning about the cosmic objects and phenomena in this physical universe are not worthwhile pursuits. Not when we have so much to understand about this world and so many issues to correct on this planet.
It’s a valid point.
After all, they might say — “up there” is not our home. This, Earth, the third planet from the Sun, is our home: the planet that orbits its star in a “perfect” orbit so that it doesn’t come too close (ouch!) or move out too far (brrr!).* The planet that contains land for us to live on and cultivate, water for us to drink, and food for us to eat. The perfect home for us. The place that an all-knowing Creator made, and the place where an all-loving Creator put us…
The place that, on God’s orders, we’re supposed to take care of (Genesis 1:28).
So, then, isn’t “here” the thing we should be talking about?
Why take the time to look “up there”?
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so” (Genesis 1:14-15).
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place…” (Psalm 8:3).
God made what is up there, too. He made our moon. He made our sun — which is really only one of many stars in our galaxy. Though they are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, we can wholeheartedly believe that God also created the other planets, galaxies, and everything in and between them — as well as things we cannot even see or begin to fathom.
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16, 17).
But why — why did God create those things?
Why did he set so many of those things so far away from us that we can’t even travel to them in our lifetimes? Why did he make so many of those things apparently so “complicated” to us that we can’t even put into words how or why they do what they do?
We can wrap our heads around some of it — for example, the Sun obviously gives us light and warmth to survive — but then there are other things: the other planets in our solar system and their diverse environments? The moons that orbit those planets, some of them appearing to be much more than just hunks of space rock? Stars in other galaxies? Seriously?! Why would God “go to the trouble” of making all that?
I’m not writing this to say I have the answers. In fact, as I look up at the stars at night, as I explore space through books, articles, films, and TV shows, I find myself feeling more and more dumbfounded by it all.
At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t really matter if I know or not. The fact is, I am not God. I was never meant to be. My logic and my thought processes are simply not the same as God’s.
It may puzzle us, yes. But can it comfort us? Yes, it can!
Trusting in God doesn’t mean we will get all the answers our human minds want. Rather, it means that we leave all the answers to him — whether we see them or not.
But through faith, we know.
Through faith in his Word, we know that God created space:
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
Although God doesn’t spell out all of his reasons for creating space, we can nevertheless be assured by that same faith that he knows why he made it and what it’s doing there. He knows what he’s doing — whether it concerns this planet, another planet, or our very lives.
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).
We may not be able to see all the wonders of this awesome universe, and we may not be able to solve all of their mysteries. But even in our limited sight and knowledge, it can still be worthwhile to look up — for in doing so, we can be reminded of the God who, in his omnipotence and omniscience, does know all the answers and is capable of creating, sustaining, and revealing glories that surpass all of our human understanding.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge…Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-2, 4).
Would you like to look up with me for a while? I’d love it if you would!
*Robert Burnham, Alan Dyer, and Jeff Kanipe, Astronomy: The Definitive Guide (New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2003), 134.
