“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Some people say science and religion don’t mix. They go on to say that in order for something to be true, and scientifically true, the supernatural cannot be allowed as part of the mix. But as I have come to understand science and faith, they most certainly are compatible when the faith we are talking about is the word of God. Everyday new advances in scientific discovery open up the material world to our inspection. Take for example genetics. In the elegant structure of the living cell, DNA is at it’s core. This incredibly complex, masterplan of living matter is a huge warehouse of information, but its miniscule size belies its function and design. Using only a few repetitive components, these are strung together in a chemical coding system not unlike the Morse Code of the telegraph. In mirror-like fashion this double-strung information chain is two tracks of code with each side mirror opposite. These can be unzipped and sectioned by specialized proteins in the cell to form the blueprints for new cell structures. This massive library is more than just random information that dances to some natural law, it is a storage and retrieval system of an arbitrary code which has no conformity to any law. As I said this system is so elegant that if a portion is split and removed it can reform perfectly by its exact mirroring pattern like a book taken off a shelf, used and replaced. However, in no way could this code arise out of any random disorganization from any outside force or law. For the coding chemicals themselves are not individually connected in any way, they ride an a substrate, and each “bit” of information is actually unique and unpatterned, standing alone. Think of something like a birthday cake with letters on it. The cake is the substrate to make the letters have a platform, but someone had to add the letters and then get them in order so that we could read “Happy Birthday.” Now the cake had a recipe, but the letters did not, and the letters weren’t baked with the cake. This is is an example of pure code, and code does not work according to natural law and especially to random chance. A code is a language which has to be determined and agreed upon before any communication or information can be used or transferred. I can’t use four letters and say something like: “Frez zeffer reez ze erfe”, and then later tell you that it means “Happy Birthday!” You would call me “effrezer”, but I wouldn’t understand you.

Now the scriptures say that God “spoke” the world into existence. Who else could organize such incredible information (code) onto something that fits on the head of a pin?(And that information result in a Von Neumann Machine!) This is just one instance where science reveals the truth of scripture and is compatible between the natural and supernatural. But it goes the other way too! Look at the book of Job. There are more references to the natural world and cosmos in this book than any other in the Bible. I call it the National Geographic book of the Bible! None of the references in Job contradict any scientific observation. Nor do any other biblical observations of the material world. Usually what happens is that science changes its maxims, but scripture doesn’t, and in the end the scripture proves reliable. Like the crop rotation proscibed in the Mosaic covenant. God commanded that every seven years the land should be left fallow. Now even today, farmers, in spite of all the advances in fertilizers know that rotating crops and leaving land fallow in this fashion produces bigger and better harvests.

All this goes to show that there is no dichotomy between the natural and supernatural world. These aren’t mutually exclusive realms that have no connection or overlap, no matter how much the high priests of science want it so. What I’m getting at is that truth that is generated in the spiritual world is many times reflected in the physical world. This thought opened the eyes of my understanding as I was studying Galatians chapter 3. Paul asks those believers who wanted to first become obedient to Jewish Law in order to follow Christ, (which Paul calls a step backwards) “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or according to the hearing of faith?” And again he asks, “…He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith.

Now as it says in the above verse, (Romans 10:17) that hearing and faith go together. Jesus said: “He who has an ear, let him hear.” Saying also… “They have ears but never hear. They are ever hearing but never understanding.” So many people want to see evidence of God; God says even if you saw you wouldn’t believe. But hearing is a different matter. That’s why He commanded “Go, and preach the good news!” So J.P. you ask, where’s the scientific connection..? Deep in your brain stem. An area called the Reticular Activation System. The activity of this system is crucial for maintaining the state of consciousness. It is situated at the core of the brain stem between the medulla oblongata and midbrain. It is involved with the circadian rhythm; damage can lead to a permanent coma. It is thought to be the area affected by many psychotropic drugs. The reticular activating system has received attention from Neuro-scientists interested in various pathological conditions affecting behavior, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. This is the part of your brain that automatically filters out information that isn’t important to you, and brings your attention to things that are. What you just read is from easily found research available on the web. No wonder some people think they see God when they are on drugs! This Reticular Activation System, or RAS, is the area which is stimulated by new information, and filters out the same-old same-old. The Galatian believers heard the news that the Gospel of Jesus would make them acceptable to God. And they believed! In fact they got really exited, with the result that they received an abundance of the Holy Spirit, and it was confirmed by the working of miracles. If the supernatural and natural were incompatible and God was excluded from your physiology, then faith would just be your biological hallucinogen. Thanks be to God that he created man to be in a relationship with Him. Would He not then create a means by which He could get our attention? Could it be that He speaks to our heart and has access to our RAS? Hmmn.

If these things are true they hold great ramifications to our impact in our world: From what I understand, the RAS is actively forging new information into our brain, and when that’s working your eyes widen and brighten. Our clue to faith then is in the eyes, look for it and at that point speak confidently! Peter, John, and Paul all did this - look at Acts 3:1-11 and Acts 14:8-10. In both instances faith led to belief and miracles. So if you want to share your faith and see God move, remember the Reticular Activation System as a way which is open to God’s working of faith. Quit trying to argue people into the kingdom. When you are sharing wait until you have the hearers attention. Recognize body language and when you see openness be bold! You will win others to faith by the hearing of faith as the Holy Spirit works in them.