大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Virginia Luckett

Charles Darwin - Fossils

Good morning and welcome.

I am fortunate to live close to the Jurassic Coast near Lyme Regis, world famous because as visitors walk our beaches they can pick up the fossilised remains of ancient sea creatures .

There is something deeply profound about holding a fossil in your hand, knowing that you are the first person who has seen it for millennia. In doing so, it鈥檚 not hard to see how these perfectly formed stone creatures and plant life have inspired the imagination of many over the years.

Not least, the great scientist, Charles Darwin, who was an enthusiastic fossil hunter himself. Recognising that he was holding a stoney version of something that was probably extinct helped him formulate his theories of Evolution and Natural Selection.

These theories, when first published in the mid 1800s challenged the religious and scientific understanding of the evolution of humankind and ushered in a new appreciation of who we are and how we came to be: science that we are still learning from as new discoveries are made.

I find it fascinating how things from the past, even the ancient past can help change worldviews in the present, if there is an openness to learn and reconsider. This mirrors my experience of faith too. As I have come to know more of the life and qualities of Jesus, my worldview has been tempered by each new discovery.

So today I pray for all of us seeking fresh insight in faith or science, that we will find what we seek.

Amen

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