by Mick Stevens

Orcas Island

After reading about the passing of both Joyce Green and Pam Doerr in the American Legion Newsletter, I wanted to share something with all of you that helped me face my own grief with a more positive outlook on things.

When my mother passed away, I felt compelled to somehow put into words the simple beauty and oftentimes profound revelations that arise from one’s deepest, most intimate thoughts regarding the perplexities of science and religion, and how the two are indeed connected. At least, I think they are.

What I came up with starts off with a couple of lines from a poem written by Johannes Kepler, a mathematician, and astronomer in the 17th century, who confirmed theories by Nicolaus Copernicus and Leonardo DaVinci regarding our solar system, and the known universe at that point in history.

It just seemed like the perfect beginning in an attempt to explain something so profound, that we may never fully understand the true nature of life, death, space, time, and, of course, the eternal questions: where do we come from, and what is our destiny?

We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing.

Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens, the origin of the universe, or the existence of a god. Yet, ever since the dawn of man, he has always pursued these unanswered questions.

Now, science tells us that human consciousness is comprised of electrical impulses. But where do they come from, and where do they go?

Einstein assured us that no form of energy can ever cease to exist. It can only be transformed into another form of energy. So, I guess we have that going for us.

I believe there is a God. And that God and the Universe are as one. And, when that part of us that can’t be seen takes leave of these earthly bonds, it is then returned into the eternal cosmos, to once again behold the very face of God.

Therefore, I believe that death is not the end, but one of many gateways through which we pass in the never-ending circle of life.

Once again, science has shown us how the “circle of life” exists throughout the Universe. From the largest of galactic formations that are home to countless solar systems, right down to a single atom with protons, neutrons, and electrons rotating around a nucleus. This one example would imply that everything is connected in one form or another, or so it would seem.

I believe most of the answers we seek are right in front of our faces and always have been. Again, science has shown us how vast and fantastically incomprehensible our universe and the theories regarding its origin are. Therefore, all considered, how could there not be a God?

The next time you hear a bird singing, stop for just a moment to reflect on the simple beauty of it all.

May the rest of your journey be as pleasant as your fondest dreams.