Monday, August 9, 2010

Creation Theology cont. – Physical - Historical



We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:22

In God we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

Creation, the generation of life, the development of ecosystems, the emergence of form, the evolution of creatures is a process which began, to the best of our awareness, with a cosmic event, the big bang, in which all potentiality came into “being” 13.7 billion years ago. Over the course of approximately the next 10 billion years, primal stars emerged, relationships began as fundamental forces – gravitation, nuclear, electromagnetic, elements condensed – gasses, metals, galaxies organized and planets came to be. On earth, organic molecules generated life-sustaining relationships, the sun and earth’s moon created atmospheric conditions conducive to life-promoting balance. Life emerged 3.9 billion years ago as the first cells differentiated, totally dependent upon the delicate conditions of planet earth for survival, and in communion with each other and the surrounding primordial “soup.” One million years later evolving cells solve the problem of depleting earth chemical metabolism by incorporating photons into their life cycle and using them to loose oxygen into the soup. A powerful oxidant, oxygen proceeded to disassociate (oxidize) everything, from rocks to metal, to carbohydrate food sources to cell membranes, Blue green algae oxygen waste was threatening to destroy life, until a new innovator adapted to the saturated oxygen atmosphere by learning to use oxygen to fuel metabolism. Thus came our current photosynthetic – oxygen cycle – the gift of respiration that plants and animals cooperatively hold in glorious balance. Adaptation by new forms of life through selfless death of others has been a part of creation throughout the creation of the formed universe. We are made of the same elements as the stars, which also have a life span. This is cosmic groaning. Cells live and die in order to keep our bodies alive and healthy every second. Creation groans as she lives through unpredictability, resistance and death on all levels of physicality.

© Peggy Beatty 2010

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