close
Goldfields Way of Creation hero

From The Goldfields

God-Talk: The Way of Creation

Combined ShapePathNews and EventsPathNews

The Revd Dr Elizabeth J Smith AM, Mission Priest, Parish of The Goldfields

It’s a warm September Sunday afternoon in Karlkurla Bushland park, and the flies are loving it. Hordes of children are enjoying the recently-opened adventure playground with its climbing tower, flying fox, sand pit with buried dinosaur fossils, and shade sails where parents can natter while the children enjoy outdoor play with no batteries or screens.

In a bit of shade, two local Catholic priests and I, and 15 or so parishioners from our two communities, are gathering before we set out on a leisurely walk around one of the shorter loop trails in the park.

As we go, accompanied by the enthusiastic bush flies and some curious children and teenagers, we pray together, not the familiar Stations of the Cross, but rather a new thing: the Stations of Creation.

There are nine stations, each with a bible reading from the theological language and cosmic poetry of Genesis 1, paired with the language of physics, chemistry and biology, and the equally cosmic poetry of 21st century science. ‘Let there be light!’ meets the Big Bang!

Many people used to assume that faith and science were irreconcilable enemies, especially when it came to the Christian claim that God is the maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. But there have always been scientists eager to enjoy God along with their scientific disciplines; and there have always been Christians whose faith has embraced the fruits of scientific research as a fascinating pathway to knowing God better.

These days, science and faith are good friends, especially when it comes to caring for the planet and its plants, animals and people. Science produces the numbers that describe what we need to change. Faith produces the positive energy for the human heart, mind, soul and will to make the changes. Since God made all of it – via a Big Bang and eons of evolution, according to our best current scientific hypotheses – God requires us to take good care of all of it, according to our best current theologies.

I am eternally grateful to the minister of my Church of Christ childhood who, in my pre-baptism classes at the tender age of 10, first introduced me to the idea that the creation stories of the Bible are indeed true: spiritually, prayerfully, poetically true; and that they don’t also have to be scientifically true for me to believe them. My subsequent science studies have increased my faith, and never fought with it.

I found it very moving to bring together the two true creation stories, in this park where I walk so often and find so much to ponder about the beauty and infinite variety of God’s world. To do so with our Catholic neighbours was also a joy. At each station, we read the stories in half a dozen different accents. Again and again, in prayerful, liturgical rhythm, we made our response:

‘We adore you, O Creator, and we bless you,
because by your holy Word you have created the world.’

In other news...