God and Nature Winter 2022
letter from the editors |
|
By Sy Garte and Aniko Albert
In the last issue, a mere three months ago, we wrote about the trials of the past year, and how that latest COVID-19 wave caused by the Delta variant “seemed to be waning.” We now know that while Delta was indeed waning in the fall of 2021, another variant, Omicron, was ready to take over and lead to yet another, even more widespread wave of cases, closures, and disruptions of normal life. Once again, some parts of the country and the world are seeing a peak, and once again there is some hope that maybe a light will finally shine at the end of the long tunnel.
At this point, rather than try to make any predictions about this virus, we simply urge prayer along with the practice of safety measures, including vaccination, and we continue to place our hope and trust in the Lord. We must do all we can to remain in good spirits despite the dangers of the times, and part of that is Christian fellowship, whether it is in person or online. We are blessed as ASA members to be able to come together for Diving Deeper discussions of papers in PSCF, as well as events such as the upcoming Winter Symposium.
It is our hope that this magazine with its eclectic collection of essays, poetry, and artwork might also help readers find some relief from the heartache and worry that impinges on our lives at this time, and we look to Christ as our ultimate hope and salvation.
In this first issue of 2022, Ranjit Thuraisingham returns with a fascinating essay on holograms and the importance of recognizing the invisible in physics and faith. Regular contributor Angie Cornwell gives us a meditation on sacrifice, transformation, and proof as presented in Romans and in the life of a molecular biologist. Omololu Fagunwa, a new voice for God and Nature readers, celebrates Black History month with an in-depth examination of the ideas of Origen, one of the early Church fathers with an African background. Sy Garte recounts an online dialogue between two scientists, one Christian and one atheist, about the nexus of faith and science. Oscar Gonzalez and Clara Klein both discuss the relationship between science and Christian faith. Oscar dives into the nature of humanity, discussing the image of God and our animal origins as posited in Genesis and Ecclesiastes. Clara, new to God and Nature, gives us a heartfelt and moving account of tensions between the two in the life and work of a naturalist with deep faith in God.
In this issue we are blessed with another beautiful set of photos captioned with Bible verses and a poem by regular columnist Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Zachary Ardern and Bruce Cooper have adorned this issue with moving poems of faith and hope. Finally, we are delighted to see the return of “Across the Pond” columnist Mike Clifford with a piece on the British Center for Alternative Technology, which he tells us is no longer “strictly for hippies.”
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we ask you to spread the word about God and Nature to your friends and contacts. Please use the Submissions page to send us your essays, poetry, photos, and comments. With prayers for good health, and hope for the future, may the Lord be with us all.
Note to readers: Formatting of this magazine might be distorted on some phones and browsers, which cannot be corrected on this website.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature, and the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith. He has been a Professor of Public Health and Environmental Health Sciences at New York University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pittsburgh. He was also Associate Director at the Center for Scientific Review at the NIH. He is the author of five books, over 200 scientific papers, and articles in PSCF and God and Nature. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA.
Aniko Albert grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University. A serial migrant, she taught English as a Foreign Language in her hometown, high-school Spanish in Kingston, Jamaica, and English and various subjects in Alameda, California. She is currently the Managing Editor of God and Nature, and Co-Chair of Rockville Help, an emergency assistance charitable organization in Rockville, Maryland.
In the last issue, a mere three months ago, we wrote about the trials of the past year, and how that latest COVID-19 wave caused by the Delta variant “seemed to be waning.” We now know that while Delta was indeed waning in the fall of 2021, another variant, Omicron, was ready to take over and lead to yet another, even more widespread wave of cases, closures, and disruptions of normal life. Once again, some parts of the country and the world are seeing a peak, and once again there is some hope that maybe a light will finally shine at the end of the long tunnel.
At this point, rather than try to make any predictions about this virus, we simply urge prayer along with the practice of safety measures, including vaccination, and we continue to place our hope and trust in the Lord. We must do all we can to remain in good spirits despite the dangers of the times, and part of that is Christian fellowship, whether it is in person or online. We are blessed as ASA members to be able to come together for Diving Deeper discussions of papers in PSCF, as well as events such as the upcoming Winter Symposium.
It is our hope that this magazine with its eclectic collection of essays, poetry, and artwork might also help readers find some relief from the heartache and worry that impinges on our lives at this time, and we look to Christ as our ultimate hope and salvation.
In this first issue of 2022, Ranjit Thuraisingham returns with a fascinating essay on holograms and the importance of recognizing the invisible in physics and faith. Regular contributor Angie Cornwell gives us a meditation on sacrifice, transformation, and proof as presented in Romans and in the life of a molecular biologist. Omololu Fagunwa, a new voice for God and Nature readers, celebrates Black History month with an in-depth examination of the ideas of Origen, one of the early Church fathers with an African background. Sy Garte recounts an online dialogue between two scientists, one Christian and one atheist, about the nexus of faith and science. Oscar Gonzalez and Clara Klein both discuss the relationship between science and Christian faith. Oscar dives into the nature of humanity, discussing the image of God and our animal origins as posited in Genesis and Ecclesiastes. Clara, new to God and Nature, gives us a heartfelt and moving account of tensions between the two in the life and work of a naturalist with deep faith in God.
In this issue we are blessed with another beautiful set of photos captioned with Bible verses and a poem by regular columnist Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Zachary Ardern and Bruce Cooper have adorned this issue with moving poems of faith and hope. Finally, we are delighted to see the return of “Across the Pond” columnist Mike Clifford with a piece on the British Center for Alternative Technology, which he tells us is no longer “strictly for hippies.”
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we ask you to spread the word about God and Nature to your friends and contacts. Please use the Submissions page to send us your essays, poetry, photos, and comments. With prayers for good health, and hope for the future, may the Lord be with us all.
Note to readers: Formatting of this magazine might be distorted on some phones and browsers, which cannot be corrected on this website.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature, and the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith. He has been a Professor of Public Health and Environmental Health Sciences at New York University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pittsburgh. He was also Associate Director at the Center for Scientific Review at the NIH. He is the author of five books, over 200 scientific papers, and articles in PSCF and God and Nature. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA.
Aniko Albert grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University. A serial migrant, she taught English as a Foreign Language in her hometown, high-school Spanish in Kingston, Jamaica, and English and various subjects in Alameda, California. She is currently the Managing Editor of God and Nature, and Co-Chair of Rockville Help, an emergency assistance charitable organization in Rockville, Maryland.