Thank you for this piece. I enjoyed it and your writing style a lot.
You might remember me - you liked a comment I made on Paul K's latest piece. I am a baby believer (about 6 months old), and am so grateful to have found God. Pretty much all I want to do is be with Him in prayer, read scripture, be in fellowship, and write about it all, including the story of my conversion.
So, as a baby believer, I have a question about something you wrote but don't quite follow. You said: "What I mean is this: nowhere does the Bible teach that you can divide the world in two, into a ‘supernatural’ bit that God is responsible for and a ‘natural’ bit that more or less does its own thing. Rather the Bible explains that God sustains everything. Every atom, every particle, every law of physics only exists because God upholds it."
I know that God sustains everything. But aren't there things He does that happen that we can't explain, that we might call supernatural? And following on from that, then maybe the things He does that we can explain, that we might call natural?
Thanks! (And welcome to the Christian family!) I love your description of how it all feels now—wanting to pray, read the Bible, be with Jesus—those are great things to cultivate.
Obviously in the piece I was pushing things *slightly* but the big idea I wanted to play with is that as Christians, we believe *everything* is from the Lord. There isn't some "natural" part of the world that God has nothing to do with—the Brownian motion in my tea only works—and the tea only exists!—because God is upholding it.
You asked: "Aren't there things He does that happen that we can't explain, that we might call supernatural?" I guess I'd nuance it by saying there are things that God does that aren't *physical* (e.g. not all his works involve atoms/particles etc.) So maybe the better category is not natural/supernatural, so much as material/non-material? In other words, the same God whose power sustains the dragonfly is the same God who can send you a dream, who has created an angel, and so on.
Where people get confused (and this was my target in the post) was thinking things like "Well, I can't believe in the resurrection because science can't explain it". Which is wrong on so many levels.
Hello again, and thank you for the welcome. It's good to be here. Yes, that helps - particularly your last paragraph. Also the material/non-material distinction. Thank you for taking the time to respond! Warmly, Heike
I just realised that I wasn’t as clear as I meant to be when I said ‘thank you for the welcome, and that it’s good to be here’. I was referring to the Christian Family! And it’s also good to be here on your page, and connecting with you. Wishing you a beautiful day too Andy. Blessings!
Hi Andy,
Thank you for this piece. I enjoyed it and your writing style a lot.
You might remember me - you liked a comment I made on Paul K's latest piece. I am a baby believer (about 6 months old), and am so grateful to have found God. Pretty much all I want to do is be with Him in prayer, read scripture, be in fellowship, and write about it all, including the story of my conversion.
So, as a baby believer, I have a question about something you wrote but don't quite follow. You said: "What I mean is this: nowhere does the Bible teach that you can divide the world in two, into a ‘supernatural’ bit that God is responsible for and a ‘natural’ bit that more or less does its own thing. Rather the Bible explains that God sustains everything. Every atom, every particle, every law of physics only exists because God upholds it."
I know that God sustains everything. But aren't there things He does that happen that we can't explain, that we might call supernatural? And following on from that, then maybe the things He does that we can explain, that we might call natural?
Warmly,
Heike
Hi Heike,
Thanks! (And welcome to the Christian family!) I love your description of how it all feels now—wanting to pray, read the Bible, be with Jesus—those are great things to cultivate.
Obviously in the piece I was pushing things *slightly* but the big idea I wanted to play with is that as Christians, we believe *everything* is from the Lord. There isn't some "natural" part of the world that God has nothing to do with—the Brownian motion in my tea only works—and the tea only exists!—because God is upholding it.
You asked: "Aren't there things He does that happen that we can't explain, that we might call supernatural?" I guess I'd nuance it by saying there are things that God does that aren't *physical* (e.g. not all his works involve atoms/particles etc.) So maybe the better category is not natural/supernatural, so much as material/non-material? In other words, the same God whose power sustains the dragonfly is the same God who can send you a dream, who has created an angel, and so on.
Where people get confused (and this was my target in the post) was thinking things like "Well, I can't believe in the resurrection because science can't explain it". Which is wrong on so many levels.
Does that help a bit?
Best
Andy
Hello again, and thank you for the welcome. It's good to be here. Yes, that helps - particularly your last paragraph. Also the material/non-material distinction. Thank you for taking the time to respond! Warmly, Heike
You're welcome! It's lovely being able to engage with readers on here. Have a great day, Heike!
I just realised that I wasn’t as clear as I meant to be when I said ‘thank you for the welcome, and that it’s good to be here’. I was referring to the Christian Family! And it’s also good to be here on your page, and connecting with you. Wishing you a beautiful day too Andy. Blessings!