SIGNS IN THE UNIVERSE

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was a famous English philosopher and poet. A well-known poem of his is titled The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Coleridge talks about a mariner stuck in the sea with no potable water in this poem. The sea’s water is spread out on all sides of the ship. But because it is salty, it is not fit for drinking:

“Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”

The state of Coleridge’s imaginary mariner is potentially that of all human beings. Man cannot remain alive without water. But all of the water in the sea is very salty, with salt forming one part out of ten of seawater. Because of this, no one can drink it.

The Creator has arranged for drinking water through the phenomenon of rain. Due to the impact of the heat of the sun, evaporation occurs in the oceans and seas. The sea’s water turns into vapour and moves up towards the sky. However, in line with the law of nature, its salt component remains in the sea, and only the sweet water component goes up. This cleansed water rises to form clouds and then falls on land as rain, giving man the sweet water he needs.

This natural process of desalination through rain is an amazing aspect of the universe. If a person reflects on this one phenomenon, he can be so overwhelmed that he can live in the thrill of the discovery and blessings of God.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), India’s first Prime Minister, once remarked that life is an intricately woven tapestry. We construct plans and chart out paths of action, but the outcome seldom matches the blueprint we envisioned. Often, unknown factors exert a powerful influence, challenging our assumptions. It appears that specific hidden forces shape the course of human destiny.

An individual who lacks faith in God could express it this way. However, religion adds a layer by affirming that, undoubtedly, a concealed power determines human destiny and that power is none other than God.