Can Faith and Science Coexist?

Psalm 19:1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament

proclaims his handiwork.

Summary: Faith and science are not rivals but partners that help us live with

curiosity, humility, and hope.

Dear Community,

One of the questions I hear often, sometimes spoken aloud and sometimes held quietly, is whether faith and science can truly coexist. Many people have been taught that they must choose one or the other. I want to say clearly that I do not believe faith and science are enemies. I believe they are companions, each helping us tell the truth about the world we live in.

Science asks how things work. It studies patterns, tests hypotheses, and seeks understanding through observation. Faith asks why we are here, how we should live, and what love requires of us. When we confuse their purposes, conflict arises. When we honor their distinct gifts, wonder grows.

The Bible was never meant to be a science textbook. Scripture is a sacred library that wrestles with meaning, suffering, hope, and God’s presence in human life. When Genesis speaks of creation, it is proclaiming that the world is purposeful and good, not offering a lab report. When the psalmist looks at the night sky and sees God’s glory, it is not denying astronomy. It is responding to awe.

I am grateful for vaccines, medical imaging, and climate science. I am also grateful for prayer, sacrament, and the courage that faith gives us when answers are incomplete. Science helps us heal bodies. Faith helps us tend souls. Both are acts of love.

At its best, faith keeps science humble by reminding us that knowledge should serve the common good. At its best, science keeps faith honest by inviting us to release fear and deepen curiosity. Together, they teach us reverence. Reverence for life. Reverence for truth. Reverence for a God who is not threatened by questions.

If your faith has ever felt shaken by new discoveries, you are not alone. God is not fragile. Truth is not fragile. The same God who meets us in scripture also meets us in the unfolding mysteries of the universe.

May we be a people who trust that learning more about the world does not take us farther from God, but draws us deeper into wonder.

In deep wonder,

Pastor Anny+

Prayer for the Week:

Gracious God, give us courage to seek truth without fear and faith that grows through curiosity. Teach us to hold knowledge and wonder together in love. Amen.