THE PILLARS OF CREATION
March 14, 1998
Don Hawley
I begin each day by staring a few moments at a photograph. Aptly entitled "Pillars of Creation," it was taken through the lens of the Hubble Telescope orbiting in space. Pictured are what appear to be three magnificent towering thunderheads jutting into the evening sky. Actually, they are part of a vast celestial nursery where new stars are being born.
My finite mind desperately tries to grasp the magnitude of what I am seeing, but it simply won't stretch far enough. These gaseous pillars are not a million, not even a billion, but nearly 6 trillion miles high! From them protrude a number of tiny tendrils no thicker than the lead in a pencil, or so it seems. In truth, each of these minute projections is as wide as our entire solar system!
Against the darkness of space the pillars stand out with varied hues ranging from dark wine to regal violet, crowned with brilliant light. Although they look as if they might be catching the last rays of a setting sun, their illumination is really searing ultraviolet radiation spewing from raging nuclear fires. These deep space incubators will never be violated by some fragile earth craft, as they are 7,000 light-years away--more than 400 million times as far away as our sun.
As I stare uncomprehendingly, a series of Bible texts come to mind.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen. 1:1
The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftmanship. Psalm 19:1.
What are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? Psalm 8:4.
Spending a few moments with these soaring pillars helps me to start my day with a proper perspective. I serve an awesome God. Although I am an insignificant blip in the vast universe, my Father cares for me deeply. I can safely put my full trust in him; nothing can touch me without his permission. Such unfathomable love creates in my heart adeep desire to please him, and demands my unalloyed adoration.
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If you would like to marvel at God's handiwork, you can obtain your own photograph by writing:
Jorge Scientific Corporation
Attn: Photographic Public Sales/Code 253
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Bldg. 8, Rm. 31
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Pricing is as follows:
8x10 $29.00
11x14 $40.00
16x20 $58.00
Postage and handling: $8.70
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