Your choice
June 16, 2010 (Wednesday)
The movie, “Toy Story,” has more than one hero, and one of them is Buzz Lightyear, whose famous call to his followers is, “To infinity and beyond!” You can’t help but chuckle a little bit when you analyze those words.
“Infinity” was introduced to us in one of our public school math classes. Its symbol is the figure eight, lying on its side. I’m not sure what the exact definition in mathematics is, but practically speaking, its appearance in an equation means that the ultimate answer is a quantity that defies complete calculation.
Buzz Lightyear’s catch phrase is humorous because “infinity” knows no boundaries; therefore nothing can be beyond it. An example is the known universe. Most scientists say the universe in infinite in size – no boundaries. It never ends.
God is infinite. Space and time are concepts that we humans need, in order to make sense of things. In the essence of His being, God has no need for such concepts. He is the great, “I Am.” “The Attributes of God,” studied by all students of theology, are part of the basic “doctrine of God.” They are infinite in nature. They never began and they shall never end.
This one concept alone should be enough to humble us as we meditate upon crucial matters of life and death. By faith many of us accept the beliefs of God’s existence and life after death. The person who denies these beliefs needs to admit to himself/herself that even the scientists have not yet agreed about the nature of the universe. Humanity is still on a quest for knowledge. None of us has complete and comprehensive knowledge of all things. We are finite beings in an infinite universe. Whether we believe in God or choose not to believe, we need to admit to ourselves that either choice is an act of faith.