God and Science Coexist

I taught high school science for 10 years in a large public school. Not only did I teach science, I taught astronomy and geology, two subjects where time is measured in millions and billions of years and evolution is a common term.

On the very first day of the school year, I gave every class of students the same speech:

“You are in this class to learn about what scientists say happened in the history of the universe (or the earth, in the case of geology). I will teach you what scientists agree on and what they disagree on. I will teach you what they say about the history of the universe and how old it is and how it formed.

What I will not be teaching you in this class is why the universe came to exist. I will not talk about Who made it or how it all started. I will not talk about what I personally believe, only about what the community of scientists who study the universe believe.

What you personally believe about the origins and age of the universe is vitally important in your life, but it is not relevant to this class. All I ask of you in this class is to understand the facts and opinions and theories of scientists.”

I never had a student or a parent debate me on any of these points. The business of science education in the public school system is to teach what science says about the origin and evolution of the earth and its creatures. The business of parents is and always has been to teach what God says about the origin and evolution of the earth and its creatures.

In his book, Indescribable: 100 Devotions about God & Science, Louie Giglio writes,

“Sometimes, I like to think about God as a scientist in a lab coat, eager to share with us all the incredible things He’s made in His indescribable, immeasurable universe-size lab. You know what? Not only does God love science — He is the greatest scientist of all!

Throughout this book, we’ll explore the incredibly, indescribably awesome universe that God created and holds in His hands.”

I just love this because it lines up perfectly with what I believe about God and His creation. This unique collection of 100 devotions teaches about God and about science as they coexist. They aren’t at odds, after all:

• God created science!

Another thing I really love about Indescribable is that it avoids controversy that could distract from the main points of the book. It mentions dinosaurs in the context of Bible verses, but it doesn’t talk about New Earth or Old Earth or dinosaurs dying out in the flood. This is really important to me as a parent because I want the job of tackling these issues with my kids. I don’t want to cede that job to someone else, even a wise author and pastor such as Louie Giglio.

If you have kids who are into science, you are going to want to take a look at Indescribable with them. It’s packed full of interesting devotions featuring plants and animals, stars and planets, even the human body and the oceans.

And if you’re looking for some safe science activities to do with your kids this school year, check these out:

• The science of paper airplanes
• The science of slime
• Exploding soap
• What do sugary drinks do to your teeth?
• Paper chromatography
• Seed science part 1
• Seed science part 2
• Astronaut pudding
• Crystal egg geodes

Have a great school year and I pray that you never stop learning about God’s awesome, indescribable creation!

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Your Turn

Are your kids into science? How can you help show your children that God is the “greatest scientist”? We’d love to hear from you!

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