The Point of No Return?

Simon and Garfunkel sang ‘I am a rock, I am an island’, a great song, but we all know life doesn’t work that way. We are all interconnected, to each other, the complex web of life on this planet, inorganic matter and, in fact, the Universe. We are simply one part of a much larger system. As such, any change to one part of the system has the potential to impact on us, positively or negatively.

Today, more than any other time in history, we are seeing the impact of human activity on the planet. We chop down trees, pump chemicals into waterways, turn natural material into waste and more in the name of development and the improvement of living standards. At the same time we see increasing desertification, millions living in poverty, starvation and displacement as climate patterns change, and rapidly increasing species loss. Systems theory predicts this has the potential to impact us one way or the other.

What does this mean for us?

Let’s assume the system has some inbuilt resilience. That is, it has some capacity to self-repair, to compensate for negative events, such as the loss of species, climate change and the like. Medical science for example recognises that our immune system can fight off bacteria and the like so long as it remains healthy and is not overloaded. In the workplace exposure values are published for a range of chemical, biological and physical hazards. The idea is that while our exposure to any of these is below the established threshold value we are unlikely to be harmed.

Does this apply to the planet as a whole? Perhaps the ecological system can adapt to some loss of species, a certain amount of toxic pollution, area of deforestation, or population growth. If we have not yet exceeded any inbuilt resilience we may still have hope. Or have we gone past the point of no return, that point at which the system is irreparably broken and life as we know it has no future?

Then there is the second law of thermodynamics. In essence, this says everything decays, or breaks down. The process cannot be reversed without external intervention, that is, from outside the system.

Theoretically something could happen in some other part of the universe that could have a positive impact on this planet, perhaps install a ‘patch’ or do a reset to repair the system. But is this realistic? As far as we know the Universe is a closed system and is therefore also subject to the same law of decay.

The laws of thermodynamics are fundamental to our existence. There are four altogether although for the purpose of this piece I will only mention three. You can Google them if you like.

The first tells us energy can neither be created or destroyed. It simply changes from one form to another.

The third in essence says that over time the amount of energy available for use in a system will break down until there is no more capacity for work. For example, without a means of recharging a battery will go flat. This third law says that over time the Universe will cool to absolute zero.

Because we are still here the Third Law tells us there must have been a beginning, that the Universe has not existed for eternity. But this fact is enigmatic. For if energy cannot be created, how did the Big Bang happen? Any proposal can at the best be speculative, but ultimately it seems there are only two options. If it cannot be explained naturally then possibly the supernatural is the better alternative.

The Bible assumes God. It does not try to prove His existence, nor does it attempt in any way to address the question of how He came to be. If He does exist that existence is outside of time and space.

Given that, the statement ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ is a viable option. It affirms a beginning, and affirms the creation of energy as a supernatural event. It also gives hope. For if God is outside the system that is the Universe, God is in a position to repair and maintain the universe, just as we are in some way able to maintain and repair those things we are external to, such as cars, computers and our houses.

This is what the Bible says. Our planet is breaking down just as the second law of thermodynamics says it will. Left to ourselves this cannot be reversed. According to the Bible God has intervened in the process through Jesus Christ and that this intervention will lead ultimately to Earth’s restoration along with the restoration of all who want to be part of it.

Until then we are called to worship the Creator, and that call includes a call to environmental stewardship.