"I Had No Idea"
by Motte Brown on 09/22/2008 at 3:23 PM
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Contact is when Jodie Foster's character Ellie Arroway travels through the cosmos and witnesses a "celestial event." She has no words to describe the overwhelming beauty. Through joyous laughter and tears she can only whisper, "I had no idea. I had no idea. I had no idea."
You're probably thinking, What's up with the nerdy movie reference? Well, I always remember the "I had no idea" utterances when I run across images of the cosmos such as these. And I think it's a perfect picture of someone being undone by the glory of God, whether they know it or not.
Through technological advances, it seems that God is allowing this generation to see his glory in ways that previous ones could only have imagined. And I'm excited to see if there's more glimpses he'll allow. Though we don't really need them. After all, King David didn't need the Hubble telescope to know that "the heavens declare the glory of God."
The reverse is true too. Such awe-inspiring images, in-and-of themselves, do not have the power to change hearts. Think of renowned astronomer Carl Sagan who wrote the novel Contact.
Sadly, I can't help but wonder if Dr. Sagan, undone at meeting his maker on December 20, 1996, uttered the phrase "I had no idea. I had no idea. I had no idea."
HT: Justin Taylor
1. Tom Neven said the following at 3:38 PM on Sep 22:
The awe works in the other direction too. I know a man who for many years worked at Los Alamos labs in New Mexico, delving into the minutest layers of the creation we know of -- at the subatomic level.
He described his work as "a worship experience," and couldn't understand why he was the only theist in his part of the lab.
2. Mallie said the following at 6:18 PM on Sep 22:
With the rise of technology, many exchanged the awe and wonder due God for a religion of science. But such images are proof that no matter how hard society tries to strip God's glory in making man central, we come upon a new layer of the Lord's majesty that can neither be ignored or denied. There is truly no place to hide from his touch.
3. Vanessa said the following at 6:52 PM on Sep 22:
I don't need a photo of a supernova to be awed by God's glory...just a lightning storm rolling across the Atlantic is enough to move me to tears at God's wonderful-ness!
4. Kathryn said the following at 7:28 PM on Sep 22:
Contact is one of my favourite movies and that is one of my favourite scenes. When her eyes are opened from all her doubt and cynicism. Good work Motte
5. Casey (the Student Nurse) said the following at 7:58 PM on Sep 22:
Of course no discussion about the Cosmos and Christianity is complete without a reference to the Indescribable talk by Louie Giglio.
Much like David I had always been in awe of the stars from the time I was a kid and how God created them. But Louie brings them into a perspective I have never thought out before, very clearly, scientifically, spiritually, and even emotionally. I'd highly recommend it.
I love seeing how infinite our God is, and yet, how small and seemingly insignificant we are. Yet, to borrow from Louie, its a significant insignificance. Praise be to God that he loved us so much as to send his only son to bring himself glory and to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Amazing Grace. Praise God.
I think i'm going to go look at the stars now...
6. J.T. said the following at 8:52 PM on Sep 22:
You know the awesome part?
It took God six days to create all of that, but it took Him NINE MONTHS to nit me together in my mother's womb! (Oh yeah, it took Him nine months to knit you together too!)
7. Adam T. said the following at 9:00 PM on Sep 22:
I've absolutely felt that way as I've studied medicine. Of course, skeptics make hay of the idea that certain of our body parts seem (to them) to function suboptimally, but many times over the past couple of years I've marveled at the complexity and intricacy with which our bodies are made. We're beautiful products of God's handiwork.
8. Joey said the following at 6:16 AM on Sep 23:
Oooh, I LOVE the movie Contact! :) I understand that it includes some elements inconsistent with a Biblical worldview, but it's one of the most thought-provoking movies I've ever seen, and very well-made.
I've recently been reading a book I picked up that gives a pictorial tour of the cosmos, and it has reminded me of the universe's sheer scale. I think my generation is so used to hearing about "light-years" that we forget just one light-year is nearly six *trillion* miles - yet many galactic objects are measured in hundreds of thousands of light-years.
Great link - I hadn't really thought about the Scriptural comparisons to the heavens in this context before.
It also reminds me of a talk from Ravi Zacharias... he described seeing the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, and how its presenter said there were over 100 billion billion stars in that one image of a tiny region in space. RZ said he thought of how Genesis casually mentions, almost as an afterthought, "and he made the stars also." Truly our God is great.
9. Rebecca Tibbs said the following at 8:08 AM on Sep 23:
I loved "Contact" also! I thought it was brilliant writing and was very overwhelmed at that very same scene... how indescribable heaven must be!
Thanks for your article.
10. Joy W. said the following at 10:16 AM on Sep 23:
I'm a middle school science teacher, and the reason I love science is that the way God put the universe is sooooo amazing!!!
A couple years ago, my seventh graders were studying the "Goldilocks conditions" present here on Earth. That is, the "just right" environment for life as we know it to exist. One of my public school students, after looking at the information, commented to me, "You know, Miss W, it's really hard to believe this just happened by accident."
11. Jonathan Watters said the following at 1:14 PM on Sep 24:
Serving in the military and being able to travel to many places around the world, I am amazed time and again at the creativity of God as evidenced in the varieties of life and terrains which I have been privileged to observe and enjoy. Sadly, as already commented upon, there are thousands if not millions who live in the very shadows of the handiwork of God who lie down each night and though not uttering it, unquestionably live it out, “I had no idea”.
While I marvel at the beauty of the stars of Iraq and the wonder of the sky’s as only found there; the followers of Allah and loyalists of the insurgency see only death, darkness and oppression. In Afghanistan I see majestic mountains that would dwarf any found on our grand shores; however those of the Taliban and they who seek to wreak havoc in those parts see only invaders, fighting and killing. I cannot help but think that they too miss so much and someday will be unable to utter anything but, “I had no idea”.
God has blessed man. In Iraq, in the United States, in Africa, and across this planet, however man has so often chosen a path of self blindness, whether intentional or through ignorance.
It serves to me as a reminder. I think tomorrow I am going to wake up a little earlier and just walk around my house, and count my blessings. I’m going to overlook my neighbors barking dog. Forget about the noisy planes overhead. Leave the TV off at lunch time and just let the elections go for awhile. God has blessed me! I refuse to wake up on Friday and say, “I had no idea”.
12. Mike Theemling said the following at 9:22 AM on Sep 26:
Reminds me of the famous quote by C.S. Lewis:
"We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
13. Leah said the following at 7:39 PM on Sep 28:
When I heard about the LHC, I wondered if it would succeed at all. We still don't know, but what if they can't replicate the "big bang"? It makes me wonder if scientists will begin wondering if the big bang is feasible at all.
After all, some of the key aspects of science are hypothesis, observation, recreation. We have a hypothesis, but have not observed anything like the big bang, and have not been able to recreate it (yet). If we try, and fail (to do something that supposedly happened by chance), I think scientists must begin double-guessing their "big bang" theory.
"I had no idea"? They might be walking into something which un-does all their preconceived notions.