Like many families, we've had more family dinners than ever in the past year due to the pandemic. Eric was home for months because he couldn't travel for work. I enjoy dinner table conversations with our boys and there is never a lack of conversation between the three of them. Our oldest two sons, identical twins, have dyslexia which has a lot of cross-over symptoms with attention deficit. The conversation can be well established when suddenly a question pops into one their minds that is seemingly random. It's not however. Their brains make a certain connection somehow and we try our best to roll with it. This recently happened and W.G. blurted out "What's black matter?" Yep, these easy questions are always fun. I have a science degree yet these questions often make me feel like a science noob. I gave a highly inadequate answer like, "Umm, it's matter we can't see." Then I had to pull out the trusty smart phone and look up NASA's website so I could share some more accurate information.
Black matter represents the vast amount of the matter in our universe compared to what we think of as "regular matter." When we think of matter, we tend to associate it with things we can experience with our five senses. Even if we can't see air, we understand it is filled with atoms. Black matter does not emit, reflect or absorb light (electromagnetic radiation). The reason scientists know it exists is because of its observed gravitational pull on the visible matter in space. In the 1930s, astrophysicists determined that visible matter couldn't account for the shape or expansion of galaxies. The galaxy clusters and galaxies should not be held together based on the gravitational pull created from the small amount of matter seen. This means that black matter and energy, existing and operating outside of our known understanding of matter and energy, actually makes up the bulk of the mass in our universe. Some scientists believe that just .5% of the matter in our universe is regular or, technically speaking, baryonic matter. In simplistic terms, we know more about what dark matter is not than we do know what it actually is. More so, it's not inaccurate to say there is a mysterious, invisible force outside of our traditional understanding of gravity and energy that is holding everything together.
This is the part where I get really excited to have an opportunity to point my boys to Jesus once again. As a parent, these are the moments that buoy my own faith as I explain why belief in a sovereign Creator is glorious.
"For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)
Christ, along with the other persons of the Trinity (three persons in one triune God), created the universe. Christ was there at the beginning (John 1:1). God created everything by His spoken word. The gospel of John refers to Jesus as the Word. This tells us that language and defining terms is really important. Christ is supreme. Christ has all authority and power and this is evidenced by creation being made through Him and for Him. Even more, Scripture tells us that He hold all things together. Can you fathom the power that it takes to hold a galaxy together? I can't. My heart just soars when I read this because that's my Christ, my God. God's Word is so rich and gives us even more insight into His power.
"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." Hebrews 11:3 (ESV)
Our Creator, by His word, spoke matter into existence. In traditional, orthodox Christianity we refer to this as creatio ex nihilo, Latin for "creation out of nothing." According to the doctrine of the LDS church (commonly known as the Mormon church), Heavenly Father used matter already available to form and fashion the universe. Our God is not limited and He doesn't need pre-existing matter to reorganize or refashion. This is an incredibly important distinction from the Biblical, orthodox view of creation that tells us God made everything from nothing. It points to a more powerful God that has never been anything like us. We are fully dependent while He is completely self-existent and all-powerful.
Ultimately, the ability to have faith that the God of the Bible is the sovereign Creator of the universe is a gift. I am not an astrophysicist or an apologist. I don't have the ability to prove anything to you about the origins of the universe. No human on this earth has that ability. This is where I rest in the fact that God can and does prove Himself. The Holy Spirit opens closed eyes and softens hard hearts. I want to be the most faithful evangelist I can, especially to my children. I know that it is the One who holds all things together that can change my children's hearts and give them saving faith. If He has the power to create all things, both visible and invisible, by His word and to hold all things together, how could I not help but to trust Him with the hearts of my children?
In this season of Advent, ponder the most-high and sovereign Creator choosing to lay aside His glory to come as a newborn baby. He was born in incredibly humble circumstances that in no way reflected His majesty. He lived a sinless life and in perfect obedience to the Father, chose to lay down His life in order to ransom sinners from the power of death and hell. The One for whom all creation was made to glorify, chose to be a humble servant and demonstrate a love that we cannot fathom. If His strength is such that it can hold all things together, how can we not stand in awe of how perfect His love for sinners is? Rejoice and may your heart overflow in the good gift of Jesus Christ in this Advent season.
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