Einstein and Eternal Life
By Ed Handkins

Have you ever wondered what Einstein’s famous formula (E=MxCxC or Energy equals Mass times the speed of light squared) has to do with your eternal life? You don’t need to be a mathematician or a scientist to get the connection.

Einstein shook the world with his now iconic formula. Before this insight it was believed that matter could not be created or destroyed. His famous formula shows that energy can be created from the transformation of matter to energy. This implied that energy could also be used to create matter – that has now been done!

This astounding truth shook our “world view” – our understanding of how things work. Nature does not know destruction. Nature only knows transformation.

I taught chemistry and physics across the hall from the biology teacher. We had several interesting discussions. The biology teacher believed that death was the end of life.

When we apply the truth that “nature does not know destruction – only transformation” to our understanding of “life” we can see another great truth. Life does not end at death – death is only the point of transformed.

To understand what is beyond the point of transformation we need to look to someone who has been there and came back to tell us about it. Science can only take us so far in our understanding. Jesus died and was buried. On the third day He rose from the grave. To those who follow Him He says “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25.)

To those who do not know Jesus as Savior He will say, “Depart from me…” (Matthew 25:41.) We need to listen to the One who has been there and back again. Death is the point of transformation to a new life with our Creator or eternal life separated from Him forever.

Scientific Note:
The energy of an atomic bomb or from an atomic reactor does not come out of thin air. The energy comes from matter being changed into energy. An incredible amount of energy is created when only a tiny amount of matter is transformed to pure energy.

The “E” in Einstein’s formula represents energy. The “M” is the amount of matter changed to energy. The “C” is a constant – the speed of light which is about 186,000 miles per second (300,000 kilometers per second.) That means the 186,000 is multiplied by 186,000 (converted to the appropriate unites) and then multiplied again by the amount of matter changed to energy.

© Ed Handkins 2009

Letters too Big to Read

Letters too Big to Read!
By Ed Handkins

I taught chemistry and physics across the hall from the biology class. We had some good discussions (debates.) I was asked “What about the food chain? How does that fit into God’s plans?” I didn’t know the answer, but like so many other things, it sent me on a long study of the Bible and God’s plan.

One of the great truths from biology is that “life comes from life.” There was a time when science taught that life can spontaneously generate from none life. Science has proved that wrong. (And yet evolution tries to say that life did spontaneously generate from non life – go figure!) Life is necessary to sustain life. The food chain is in place because all living things need living things in order to survive.

I realized that “life came from life.” That truth then merged with another question I had been thinking and praying through for several years. I received Jesus as my Savior when I was young. I believed Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of all who would receive Him. I wondered why God had not revealed this great truth through His creation. I wondered why He had not left hints of this truth somewhere else – Then I realized “He did!” God has written the truth of the atonement in letters that were too big for me to read. I needed a new perspective in order to understand.

Every time we set down to a meal we are reminded that we are able to live physically because something died for us. It may have been a grain of corn or a head of lettuce, but something died that we might live.

In the same way, we can live spiritually because Jesus died for us. It is through His death that we can live spiritually.

Every time we eat anything we should be reminded of His sacrifice. The Old Testament understood the connection between the sacrifice and the meal. For most of the Old Testament sacrifice offerings, only a portion of the sacrifice was burned. The rest was used as a meal for the priest and the worshipers. (There were a lot of different kinds of offerings offered mentioned – each one was to be handled in a specific way.) They understood the connection between sacrifice and the meal - and they gave thanks.

Jesus died on the cross. Through His sacrifice we can live. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. The grave is still empty. Life comes from life. Because He lives we shell live also.

Is God a Mathematician?

Math is the basis for all "hard" science but why would a system developed for counting assets have anything to do with the structure of the atom or the movement of the stars? In other words, was math invented or discovered?

When Albert Einstein developed his theory of relativity he made two assumptions. One, that the laws of physics would be the same for any observer moving at a constant speed and direction. Second, the speed of light would be the same for all observers. These two assumptions can only be true if there is a unity in the universe. We are not at the mercy of the snap decisions of a capricious god.

The very heart of science has the belief that the universe and how it works can be understood. Without that basic belief there would be no reason to do science.

The introduction to the idea of God into science is not a "conversation stopper." I believe math is at the heart of science because God is the unifying factor. He is the God of "i" and "Pi" as well as "you" and "I." The fact that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever is the factor that makes the universe understandable.

That is why even those who believe that math was "invented" often have a sense of "awe" when they marvel that a simple math equations can sum up so so much about what goes on in the universe. (Example: E=MC2)

It seems to me that God is not only "a" mathematician. He is "the" mathematician. We have the privilege of discovering what wonders God has made.

Discovering God Through Science

Discovering God Through Science

I love science and I love God. I believe that all "truth" is God's truth. When we find truth through science it will agree with God's revealed truth. In my undergraduate work I focused on math, physics and chemistry (SIU-Carbondale, IL). Later I received a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.

Believers in Jesus Christ do not need to "check their brains at the door" in order to believe. Faith and science are not at war - even though some people of science have declared war on faith and some people of faith have declared war on science.

In this blog I will share some of the things I have learned about God through science. This is not an argument for the existence of God. I assume the God of the Bible is the God of creation. I will share some of the clues I believe God planted in His creation as to His character, purpose and plan.

If you do not share my understanding of God I do hope you will examine each clue with an open mind to see if it might have the "ring of truth." If you do share my understanding of God it is my hopes that you will be encouraged.