Recently I had a conversation with a friend, and our
discussion turned to the topic of Scripture. Being a devotee
of Science and Spirituality, I made mention the oft heard
"Book of Nature" vis-a-vis the "Book of Scripture." One would
seem based on observation, and the other based on revelation.
There has also been a tendency to choose one over the other.
While my friend and I were talking about these two kinds of
Books, if you will, I suddenly said that I felt that Creation was
truly Scripture writ by the Creator. I kind of surprised myself,
because this statement literally jumped out before I even began
to think about it.
Later I started wondering about this slip of my mind. As I have
oft considered, Scripture we possess and declare has been
written by human hand. And it is moot as to whether the authors
were "divinely inspired." Perhaps it is easier to assume we
might know by the fruits brought forth by written Scripture. As
any serious student of History, much less Religion, can tell you--
our written Scripture is a mixed miscellany that can be judged
in both positive and negative ways. We humans have had the
tendency to use Scripture in wrongful ways, for our own
purposes--especially when it comes to Power and Authority.
Turning to the Book of Nature, or Creation as Scripture, I began
to wonder if perhaps we had a kind of fool-proof "book" writ by
the Creator. It's definitely a certainty that we humans had no
hand creating the universe, at least initially. However, now our
Science and Technology has reached the point where we are at the
edge of creating what once was presumed only possible via Nature's
work. Of course humans are part and parcel of Nature, though
sometimes we forget this little fact. Thus maybe it is not so
outlandish to think that via our own creativity we are contributing
to the Book of Nature.
Nonetheless, there are pitfalls in this--just as when the Book of
Scripture was writ by human hands. We *interpret* the Deity,
the Divine, and usually follow with pronouncements. Alas, from
what I can tell, we tend toward the same habits when it comes to
the Book of Nature.
Still there's lots to learn from these two great Books--of Scripture,
of Nature. It's just that we need look with not only our heart but
with our mind, in a more honest way--rather than as a matter of
expediency.
I think, too, that we can blend these two Books, somehow
integrating the pearls of Wisdom found in the Book of Scripture
with the discoveries of Profundity we find in the Book of Nature.
Then we might eventually glean a great message.
