Monday, November 29, 2010

The Williamsburg Bridge

"What I'm trying to say, is that people trust God even when they don't realize it."

Mitch, Abby, and I were out for a night run, and after running across the Williamsburg Bridge and back, we jogged to a park located alongside the water, where we paused to soak up the glorious and surreal view of the bridge and the surrounding city lights. The base pillars rising up out of the water seemed so big - and we felt so small.

That's when Mitch got all deep and contemplative and philosophical on us. He started talking
about how every day thousands of people entrust their lives to the Williamsburg Bridge without even giving it a second thought. They take the subway train across it, or drive or bike, or as we did - run. And all the while, they have faith that the bridge will hold them up.

Mitch started to talk about the Laws of Physics and how people trust the bridge because they trust the engineers who built it, who in turn trust the Laws of Physics. Mitch pointed out that God created the Laws of Physics and it's truth that people trust in. But ultimately that truth stems from God, therefore, Mitch concluded, "People trust God even when they don't realize it."

But Abby starting questioning right away. "Well, what about that bridge in Minnesota that collapsed a few years back?"

I remember the incident because I received a text from a friend, asking me to pray for this man who lost his wife and two kids in the tragedy. The same day I received the prayer request my dad gave me a "praise report" over the phone that a family he knew made it safely across the bridge just before it collapsed.

I think Abby was trying to argue that in that particular instance, the Laws of Physics failed us - and if that's the case, then didn't God fail us too?

That's when Mitch turned to me and pleaded, "Katrina, can you help me out here?"

"Think about it this way Abby." I tried to dig something up from within that might be helpful. "Let's say that gravity didn't exist."

"Oh, wow. That would be fun." Abby smiled as she dreamed of the possibility. "We'd be able to fly through the sky. That would be awesome."

"Perhaps, but I don't think it would be quite as simple as that. We'd probably drift away to outer space where we wouldn't have any oxygen to breathe. And well, we'd probably be dead."

"That's right." Mitch piped. "Even if we stuck to the earth, without the gravitational pull of the planets, we'd probably be burned up by the sun."

"It's true. There is a delicate balance to everything in our universe."

Our dialogue on God and gravity continued on for a bit until it shifted to cartwheels. (Mitch claims he can do one, but he refused to demonstrate.)

It's interesting though, it's not the delicate balance that convinces me that God exists - even though it makes logical sense that there has to be some Creater that pieced this universe together, for me, it's more about knowing and experiencing God's goodness and faithfulness in my life. I know His character - and that's why I trust in Him.

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