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Black Holes  –  God’s  drawing pins

Following the publication of the first ever photo of what purports to be a black hole, above, Peter Gray-Read shares his thoughts with us about this mysterious phenomenon.

Black holes were predicted by the intuitive physical theories of Einstein and confirmed in the clustering and cosmic choreography of the stars making up galaxies. Black Holes are a fearful, but cohesive force of creation.
 
We know that timing is crucial with God.  “There is nothing hidden that shall not be made known.”
 
The first page of our Bibles, verse 16, speaking of the 4th day of creation, says:  ‘…He made the stars also.’ Almost a throwaway line, but an event that has resulted in prominent news over that last few weeks, because we now can see what keeps them in place…  God’s drawing pins!
 
Black holes provide, we are told, the gravitational pull that holds together all the stars in a galactic cluster.  At school, displays are held up with drawing pins. (Yes I know that staple guns are used now, but let’s not get technical - drawing pins were used 50 years ago!)  The point is, displays provide information, decoration and stimulation to explore.  That’s exactly what God does with the stars and constellations; they are for ‘times and seasons’ and they give light to the Earth.
 
No-one knew how God did it, but now we can more clearly see his handiwork. Psalm 111:2  “The works of Yahweh are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.”
 
It took ten years to plan, an international team of scientists to execute and the world’s most powerful supercomputer to process the data taken from eight radio telescopes networked over the face of the Earth from Antarctica, Hawaii, Atacama…  making the Earth like a giant eye. They were all pointing to one tiny region of the cosmos 55 million light-years (so we are told) away. 
 
It was a great achievement, but we must use the opportunity to celebrate the awesome power and might of our amazing God who made it all. 
 
Now some may think – why do you have to bring God into the picture?  Surely this is a great feat of science.  Yes it is, but science just measured what’s there – took its picture. Science is still very much in the dark about ideas around the so called ‘Big Bang’ itself.  Even space itself was not there at the start and there are enormous gaps in the story!
 
I’m definitely not resorting to a ‘God of the  gaps’ apologetic but I do not want people to swallow the fake news about – “It all happened at the Big Bang”.  I see this so much in schools.  Pupils use this phrase as an intellectual ‘gob stopper’.  End of story… no need to think.  Like the Evolution ‘gob stopper’. For heaven’s sake question things! That’s what science does!  
 
Genesis 1 v18 says:  ‘to divide the light from the darkness’  - a curious phrase, I have often thought.  Is that what a Black Hole does?  Divide light from darkness?  Interestingly, it is estimated that we have around 100 billion neurons in the human brain and it is estimated there are around 100 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.  Let each one shine for Jesus! 
 
The name of the combined telescope is, appropriately, the Event Horizon Telescope. It is certain that, very soon, the Event Horizon will be crossed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is coming again soon in great Power and Glory to reign over His creation. 

Let Him shine in your life today.

The image above is courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Peter gray-read 750CF

 


Peter is a teacher, specialising in maths and science with a master’s in molecular biology, and has done street preaching in UK locally and France, Ukraine, Siberia, and South Africa. He worships at St Andrew’s Church in Gorleston. 



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