Joint Base Charleston, S.C. –
Did you know if there was four percent more oxygen or six percent less oxygen in the atmosphere, life on earth would be impossible? If the gravitational force on earth was altered or if Jupiter wasn't in the orbit it is in, life on earth would be impossible. In fact, Dr. Hugh Ross, a scholar in the fields of astronomy, physics and astrophysics researched 72 characteristics of the universe that must be precisely calibrated for life to exist on earth ... like the thickness of the earth's crust, the length of a day, the amount of seismic activity, the mass of protons and electrons, the magnetic field of the earth and the color of the sun, just to name a few. These are "standards" of the universe for the existence of life on earth.
Here's another example. With a fixed reference, like magnetic north, we are able to determine directions, locations and able to navigate from point A to point B using a compass. Can you imagine the difficulty of navigating if the location of magnetic north was constantly changing, or in other words the standard was changing?
For members of the military, things like integrity, selflessness, honor and excellence are standards. Instructions, regulations, customs, courtesies, policies concerning drinking and driving and sexual assault, technical orders, procedures and fitness scores are all standards. The list goes on and on. There are usually consequences when we do not adhere to the standard. Sooner or later we get caught or even worse, injury and death can occur.
As a fairly new pilot on a night flight, in an area I was not familiar with, I was making a visual approach into an airport. When I flipped the switch on the landing lights, I saw trees 20 feet below my landing gear. I didn't cross-check my visual cues with the instruments available to me. I accepted what I saw with my eyes as the "truth," even though in reality I had become disorientated concerning my altitude. That disregard for standards could have cost me my life that night. I shudder to think what would have happened had I waited a few more seconds to flip the switch on the landing light.
You may be asking at this point, "Chaplain, where are you going with all this?" Well, my job, my calling, is to protect your spiritual future. Spiritual standards are important, so here are a couple pointers. First, if the truth you believe keeps changing, it may not be true at all. Enduring standards, even spiritual ones, don't change that much. What was right and wrong yesterday, will probably be the same tomorrow. Second, life is disorientating, so check your spiritual instruments against each other. Read, study, discuss, observe, contemplate, challenge and test. Do not accept what one source tells you; verify it against other sources, don't ever stop cross-checking, scanning and searching. It's a life-time exercise that brings spiritual awareness.
Remember Dr. Ross from the first paragraph? He figured out the mathematical probability that all 72 characteristics of the universe would be precisely calibrated to sustain life on earth. It was one chance in ten million, trillion, trillion, trillion. If all these standards and precision came about by chance, that would violate the second law of thermodynamics, an air tight law of physics, which states that in a closed system, things will move from order to chaos unless energy is put into the system. In other words, your yard will get weeds, your car will break down, and your relationships will fall apart if you do not act. Since our universe moved from chaos to order, I believe something put energy into it. That's my humble opinion and I have cross-checked theology against science. The odds, precision and evidence are convincing. What's your opinion? Can you ignore these standards in our universe? Can you put your faith in chaos as a plan for your life? Maybe a tornado will hit an auto salvage yard and build you a Corvette. Even better, maybe there's order for your life, a plan and a purpose to be discovered?