The World Speaks—Are We Listening?
When I was a child, I would go to the beach on the Island of Bute. I would see a heart or a little house or a car etched in the sand. Rough, childlike, but evidence that it never just happened. But modern science treats the universe differently: fascinated by its design and order, yet refusing to acknowledge the possibility of a mind behind it.
Science, at its best, is a wonderful gift. It has helped us understand nature, heal diseases, and explore worlds beyond our own. But a mindset has taken hold in many scientific circles: as long as God is left out of the explanation, any theory—no matter how stretched—will do. It’s as if science has become so determined to stand on its own that it refuses to admit even the possibility of a Creator.
A key part of this mindset is the rule that only natural explanations are allowed. That rule can be useful, but when it hardens into an unquestioned belief, it becomes a blindfold. It’s like trying to solve a mystery after banning yourself from considering one of the most obvious suspects. You can still discover many things, but you’ve limited yourself before the search has even begun.
Because of this, science answers “how” questions very well but struggles with the “why.” It can describe how stars ignite or how cells divide, but it can’t tell us why anything exists in the first place or why the universe is so astonishingly fit for life. Our world is set up with such delicate precision that even tiny changes in the basic forces of nature would make life impossible. Yet instead of considering design, some scientists prefer to imagine endless unobservable universes just to avoid that conclusion. It feels less like solving the puzzle and more like brushing the uncomfortable pieces aside.
This aversion to design is not always about evidence; sometimes it’s about commitment to an idea. Certain scientists have even admitted that they reject any explanation involving God before the investigation starts. That’s not an open search for truth—it’s a verdict declared in advance. It also leads to strained explanations, such as the belief that life, with all its intricate molecular “coding,” simply assembled itself out of random chemicals. Even people who aren’t religious can see how unlikely that sounds.
At the heart of this resistance is a very human problem. Acknowledging a Creator means admitting that we are not self-made and not the ultimate point of reference. That can be hard to accept. But when pride takes over, it blinds us to what may be right in front of us, like someone ignoring a compass while complaining that the map makes no sense.
The irony is that science itself hints at something beyond pure chance. The world behaves with astonishing consistency, almost like a perfectly conducted piece of music. And like a symphony, the harmony we observe seems to point to an intelligent guide behind it. Einstein once marvelled that the universe is understandable at all—that our minds are able to grasp its laws. Why should that be true if everything is the product of blind accident?
Science does not become stronger when it shuts the door on God. In fact, it risks becoming smaller and less honest, because it leaves out the very explanation that could make sense of the bigger questions. It is like trying to assemble a puzzle while refusing to use the centre piece.
The universe is not silent. It points beyond itself. Scripture says that the heavens declare God’s glory, and creation speaks of His handiwork. When science is practiced with humility, it can help us appreciate that beauty even more deeply. But when it refuses to consider the One who made it, it loses sight of the full picture.
Job’s ancient words remind us that creation itself teaches us about the One who formed it: the animals, the birds, the earth, the sea—everything around us bears witness that life is in God’s hands. Every breath we take is from Him. Real wisdom begins when we are willing to listen.
But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;
ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?
The life of every living thing is in His hand,
as well as the breath of all mankind.
Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes its food?
Wisdom is found with the elderly,
and understanding comes with long life.
Job 12:7-10 (BSB).