An image of the Orion nebula shows four monstrously massive stars at the center of the cloud.

So says Stephen Hawking.  The world-famous physicist has written a new book, titled “The Grand Design,” to be published next Tuesday in the U.S. and Thursday in the U.K.  I am already looking forward to reading it, but cannot help responding this morning to the summary on today’s CNN website.

Mr. Hawking’s thesis seems to be that multiple planets and universes make it probable that life would begin spontaneously somewhere.  Given the existence of gravity, “the universe can and will create itself from nothing” he asserts.  As a result, “Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”  Hawking believes that multiple universes exist, so that at least one would have laws of physics like ours; in such a universe, something must arise from nothing.  Therefore, no God is needed to explain what exists, or so he claims.

Some of Hawking’s Cambridge colleagues take issue with his conclusions.  One distinguishes between science, which describes how existence may happen, and theology, which addresses the meaning of the narrative.  Another states: “a creator God provides a reasonable and credible explanation of why there is a universe, and . . . it is somewhat more likely that there is a God than there is not.  That view is not undermined by what Hawking has said.”

With all due respect to Mr. Hawking, I have some questions to ask.  First: if gravity is needed for the universe to create itself, how did gravity itself come to be?  Second: if belief in a God-less self-creating universe requires that we accept unprovable physical presuppositions such as multiple universes, is such acceptance not itself a faith commitment?

Most significant, at least to me, is this question: are we confusing categories?  Faith in God, like faith in anyone else, is a relational decision.  We examine the evidence, then step beyond it into a commitment which transcends the evidence and becomes self-validating.  That’s how people decide to get married, or have children, or choose a college or take a job.  If you waited for incontrovertible proof that this essay was worth your time before reading it, you wouldn’t have read this far.

The biblical fact is that “by Jesus all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16).  The planet’s population when I was born in 1958 was 2,945,263,533, but Jesus apparently thought the world needed one more person.  There are plenty of writers and speakers in the world, but he made me anyway.  He thought my eternal life was worth his death.  He feels the same way about you.

I’m not a fan of bumper-sticker theology, but I remember seeing one I thought was interesting: “I don’t believe in atheists—therefore, atheists don’t exist.”  Our Lord believes in Stephen Hawking, whether he believes in him or not.  And he believes in you.  How will you return the favor today?

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