Last weekend our whole family was involved in a science project for my fourth grader. You know how those school projects go. As parents we want our children to do well in school, but reading over the guidelines of the project, we know that they will need our “help” to carry out this monumental task. Right? Soon “help” turns into an “idea” and then “great ideas” come forth from our mouths, and soon what would have taken the student an hour, takes two grown ups and the student all day on Saturday.

The project: a three-D image of the calcium atom. In preparation for the project, our daughter Googled the number of protons, neutrons and electrons that make up the calcium atom. At times you could actually see the wheels spinning in my husband’s head. So many ideas, so little time. And the Periodic Table, that I never thought I would look at again, became our screen saver. Yes, it was quite a week working on this project.

As strange as it is to admit, this whole science project has left me pondering the nucleus of an atom. I’m a little scared. What is happening to me? I even ran across an article written by a Christian author that talked about how the nucleus of an atom is clustered (protons clustered together); however, how can protons be drawn together when they are positively charged? Don’t opposites attract? And how are electrons (negatively charged) not drawn to and collapsed in the nucleus? It’s a great mystery among scientists that leads to the question, “What holds the universe together?”

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17

Could it be as simple an explanation as that? If God let go for just a second, would this whole physical universe go up in a bang? If those protons could follow their natural way and repel each other, what would happen? And could it be that the Hands that hold this world hold you and me?

I am normally not a lofty thinker, and after delving into scientific research, I am convinced that I can’t scientifically answer the question, “What holds this universe together.” In fact, I really don’t want to. I’m fine living in my limited bubble of scientific knowledge. It is much easier for me to look to scripture and point to God. If anything, I take great comfort in knowing that God knows.

I am thankful for Paul’s teaching in Colossians. False teaching was creeping into Colosse and the people were denying the deity of Christ, but then Paul’s letter arrived and he explained the supremacy of our Lord. Who knew that what was God inspired thousands of years ago and penned through Paul, would impact a fourth grade science project in 2011? I love how our supreme God goes before all things, and in Him all things hold together—even a three-D model of a calcium atom.

Article referenced in post can be found at: **http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=1&contentID=7236&commInfo=25&topic=Colossians

“Mom, I’m sorry,” my eight-year old daughter said.  “Don’t worry about it, we all make steaks,” I replied, mimicking my preschoolers cute, but inaccurate way of explaining that we make mistakes.  The offense was so small I can’t even remember it.  Perhaps it was from when she spilled a glass of water.  But despite the simplicity of the error, the apologies continued to flow out faster than the beverage from the cup.  “Mom, I’m really sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”  “I know, honey.  It’s okay.”  Two minutes later, she apologized yet again.  Not even thirty minutes passed before she sought yet another round of forgiveness for the same accident. 

Can you imagine feeling so bad over something that you keep asking time and again to be forgiven?  If you’re anything like me, you don’t have to imagine.  We’ve been there, kicking ourselves as we think “how did I ever let myself do that?”  Like a small child wanting to be in a right relationship with her parent, we keep begging our daddy for forgiveness, secretly believing we’re too undeserving of it. 

For he (God) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13,14, emphasis mine

The forgiveness of sins.  Plural.  Not just a one-time pass.  Not even limited to an hourly event.  As often as necessary.  We aren’t told only the minor offenses are forgiven, nor is our pardon based on the number of times we plead for it.  We aren’t part of this equation.  It is God and his Son.  They have chosen to forgive us.  Radical, huh?  So unthinkable that Jesus came to earth, purposefully knowing He would die to remove our sins.  There is no need to continue to act like a small child and beg over and over for the same offense.  Nor do we need to believe our actions are so grave they can never be forgiven.  Instead, we can accept the undeserving gift of God’s mercy and celebrate the great truth that in Him we have redemption, “even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:14, KJV)