Reflection/Exhortation 8: The Unfathomable Wonders of God (17.06.2020)
The Unfathomable Wonders of God by Jacob Ting (Youth Ministry)
From MCO to CMCO, then to RMCO, the country (and the whole world) is facing an unprecedented time of uncertainty and turmoil. Churches as well as believers are scrambling to adapt to the “new normal” with many Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to abide with. For me, one of the most comforting Bible verses which never fail to calm my soul is Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Likewise, the Gospel of Luke also mentioned that do not be anxious, as even our hair have been numbered (by the way, who would take the trouble to number our hair?)
Few years ago, I was tasked to co-teach a postgraduate class with a colleague. The subject has an ethical segment where we would talk about philosophy and ethics, looking into the lives and ideologies of ethical philosophers such as Kant, Bentham, Locke and even Aristotle and Socrates. There was a chapter which was dedicated to human brain and that had prompted me to research a little further on human brain, though not the thesis kind of research but the outcome had gotten me fascinated for a while and the experience had since stirred my interest in an area known as “Ethicmentality”.
In the Scripture, Psalmist had written descriptively about how majestic and how he was in awe regarding God’s divinity and His creativity as well as His wisdom which is beyond the gauge of our limited human imagination. In particular, Psalms 8:3-4 was written “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”
Dr David Eagleman, a renowned Stanford professor and neuroscientist once said, “The most complex thing we have discovered in the universe, is the human brain”. He further contended that he has spent many years of his life trying to decipher the mysteries of the brain, and yet he’s still in awe. Human brains are made up of tens of billions of microscopic brain cells known as neurons and each neuron is as complicated (if not less) as the street map of London. The neurons enable messages to travel forward and backward between the brain and the body through a network of quadrillion connections, firing trillions of electro-chemical signals every second of our lives. All these are happening right under the skull of every human being, in a 3 lbs (approximately 1.36kg), Jell-O like organ of our body. Neuro scientists conclude that there are as many connections as there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy in a cubic centimetre of the brain tissue. Somehow, it results in the experience of being an individual, shaping our lives, with the capability for humans to hope, aspire, dream, to have emotions, feelings etc.
Take cycling for example, I bet many of us know how to ride on a bicycle, and many of us could still recall when we first started learning where injuries and bruises were inevitable. When we first cycled, we need to paddle, putting both hands on the cross bar, keeping our eyes on the road, being aware of our surrounding, positioning our fingers on the brake lever to brake at any point of time, keeping our balance on the bicycle, turning or swerving whenever it becomes necessary etc. We fell, we picked up the bicycle and rode again and the cycle repeats until we master the skill. That is because, according to neuroscientists, our brain cells have formed connections (neural circuits) known as synapses. When neurons are well connected, that’s when the skill is mastered. If you ride on a bicycle today, you are not so nervous anymore in putting hands on the crossbar, fingers on brake lever, maintaining balancing etc. In fact, we do it kind of subconsciously. Guess that’s what we usually say, practice makes perfect.
Action that we take for granted daily like walking, might be a monumental triumph for patients who have experienced the tiny, minute fraction damage of their brains that prevent any kind of coordinated movement. Every flex and bent of our body which we perform hundreds of times each day become such grueling tasks for them.
The Psalmist further expressed his wonderment and reverence in Psalms 139:13-14 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well”.
What comforting Words to push us forward bit by bit each day in this temporal life journey of ours. God never promised us that our lives will be smooth sailing once we accepted Him into our lives, but He did promise that His grace is sufficient for us and the peace that He gives surpasses all understanding.
Praise and glory be to God.
