Ten months ago, I sat across from a panel of five interviewers in hopes of portraying myself worthy of a UAB Presidential Endowed Scholarship. Four years of housing, tuition, and a research stipend rested on this interview. I had so many things I wanted to focus on—research, coursework, campus involvement—but it just didn’t work out like that.
“So, tell us about yourself. What makes you you?”
“Probably my faith. That’s pretty big to me.”
The following thirty minutes consisted of me explaining to five incredibly intelligent people how I planned to reconcile my faith in Jesus with science throughout my career in research. Of everything I expected to discuss that day, that certainly was not on the list. However, this is an incredibly important issue that almost every Christian struggles with at some point. Since I’ve been at UAB, I’ve thought about this a good bit. So, I’m no St. Thomas Aquinas, but I hope I can help clear things up for those who wrestle with the infamous clash between science and faith in God. I don’t intend to prove or disprove anything—I only want to present a fresh perspective.
Humans are special creatures. We’re not composed of anything outrageous compared to the rest of the world, and we function similarly to plenty of other organisms. We even share a number of genes with things that aren’t human. Nevertheless, we do special things. We write and share fantastic stories using beautiful language; we find repose in brilliant music; and—perhaps most impressively—we ask questions. Other organisms “ask questions” in a sense as well, but humans are a bit different. We ask what everything is made of, how far and how big the stars are, and why some people love to dance while others love to solve math problems. We ask what kind of chemical processes keep us alive as we read mediocre articles. We love to know.
Our curiosity called for the birth of a discipline unlike any other: science. Science takes us on an extravagant journey of thinking, testing, learning, and relearning what exactly is going on around us as we walk through life. Over the past centuries, the scope of things that can be approached scientifically has widened to unthinkable measures. Without science, we’d be bereft of countless things that we consider necessities, like iPhones. Our endeavors to learn more about the universe have not only proved beneficial, but have enriched human life far beyond the point at which we once were. However, there comes a moment when the questions we ask refuse to be satisfied by a scientific explanation.
At some point, we ask the question that has defined lifestyles, relationships, families, and so much else for centuries. Whether we commence an active search for the answer or wait for the answer to come to us, it’s as if we resort to one thought when all other thoughts are exhausted: Why am I here?
Suddenly, an explanation of the intricacies that permit life on Earth fail to account for the reason why we have life at all. Empirical data don’t offer a purpose. As a result, many contend that we don’t simply have one; even so, the search continues. We strive to find meaning in almost all aspects of life in order to satisfy the drive to know why we exist. And, regardless of whether you believe in any of it or not, the fulfillment of the thirst for purpose is found in the hope and belief of things unseen, i.e., faith.
“Science can tell us a lot of things, perhaps the ‘how’ and the ‘when’ behind the universe. The Bible, on the other hand, offers us the ‘Who’ and the ‘why.’”
The interviewing panel agreed.
According to the Bible, the reason we even search for purpose is because God designed us to do so: “…Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end,” (Ecclesiastes 3:11b, ESV). We don’t immediately know how our life is supposed to turn out, but we each have a divine longing that tells us it’s supposed to look like something. Thankfully, this “something” isn’t entirely mysterious or impossible to find out. After all, shouldn’t the purpose of life be accessible?
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes that God “predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved,” (Ephesians 1:5-6, ESV). Before you were born, God intended to cover your sins by the blood of Jesus. Before mankind even existed, God wanted to adopt us as sons and daughters through Christ's sacrifice so that we could glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. The possibility that God actually wants (and has wanted) to dwell with us for eternity is crazy to think about, but it strangely satisfies our desire for purpose. By the way it looks, God has implanted within us a seed that never dies, but only He can water—we find true life when we drop the watering pots and turn to Him.
Science is awesome, but it simply doesn’t belong in the same realm as faith. If you’re a young Christian who’s pursuing a career in the scientific community like me, don’t be discouraged by the general attitude towards faith—any negativity towards belief in Jesus because it isn’t empirically explained has no ground. If you’re a science-lover who’s afraid to entertain Christianity because you think you’ll have to abandon the laws of nature, you just might. Kidding. Don’t be afraid to search for purpose; it’s not primitive, naïve, or outdated. It’s placed within our hearts.
P.S. I didn’t get the scholarship. But, you know what? Life is good.
