THE GOD PARTICLE: GOD-TALK IN A BIG BANG WORLD

The expansion of human knowledge that springs from the inquiries of science can become a profound resource for our faith traditions. We need not choose between faith and reason as the rejection of reason often leads to a failure of faith. The high calling of the scientific community is to bring the realities of our universe into sharper focus. Our faith traditions enable us to discern meaning and understanding in our lives that cannot be realized by examining facts alone. Both the knowledge we are gaining from science along with the deep insights that we gain from our faith stories provide light and encouragement for navigating our human journeys. The hope and compassion and embodiments of grace that we experience within our communities of faith and the new knowledge we discovered through explorations of our world, such as the now-famous discovery of the ""god particle,"" can come together to lead us toward a better understanding of ourselves and our world. We are learning that the universe, including ourselves, is a constellation of creative interdependence. There are no isolated entities in the world, including our individual lives. The solitary individual is a fiction. Our relational lives are central to our being. A sustainable faith should engage our minds as a critical resource for sound belief. Every believer can become a thoughtful believer and every thoughtful person can find hope and insight for living from our stories of faith. Thinking and believing work together to enable us to live more fully enlightened lives.