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- January 19
January 19
David Barnhart
January 19, 2025
Outdoor Gallery at the Berlin Wall, 2022
Father George Coyne, Vatican astrophysicist, was born on this day in 1933 in Baltimore. He was adamant that faith and science can coexist, but found resistance from both militant atheists and a stubborn church leadership. He rejected so-called “Intelligent Design” theory in favor of a theology of God’s radical openness. Father Coyne died in 2020.
Today also marks the birthday of Trinitarian theologian Colin Gunton in 1941.
Reflection:
George Coyne wrote:
“If they respect the results of modern science, and indeed the best of modern biblical research, religious believers must move away from the notion of a dictator God or a designer God, a Newtonian God who made the universe as a watch that ticks along regularly. Perhaps God should be seen more as a parent or as one who speaks encouraging and sustaining words.”
Yes, and who we worship forms who we become, both individually and as a society. If we imagine God as a micromanager or authoritarian, those shape our view of ethics and leadership. These days, I prefer to see God as curious and delighted by life, by creation, and about who we are becoming.
Prayer:
Source of Life, create in us clean hearts, wise minds, and tough skin. Amen.