Friday, March 25, 2016
Proof
There is a mysterious formation
less than a few thousand feet from the intersection of Connecticut, Massachusetts
and Rhode Island, near the abandoned "Southern Trunk" rail line. It is a curious corbelled cave. Some call it "Hermit's Cave". No one seems to know who built it, but we
know it wasn't foxes or glaciers; it was intelligently designed.
In March of 2012, Kevin
Spottswood wrote a blog at Stonewings.com outlining five possible creators of
this cave. This is how he begins his
blog:
"THOMPSON, Connecticut — East
Thompson, snug in the northeastern corner of boxy Connecticut, is a miniature
mecca of local lore.
In
1789, the tiny village nearly assassinated the nation’s first president with
its rough roads and rougher roadside fare. A century later, it was the scene of
the worst railroad crash, measured by number of trains, in United States
history.
East
Thompson also may have been home to a mysterious hill dweller. Hobbit or human?
I’d bet human."
I recently visited Hermit's
Cave. As I considered this mysterious formation I could not help but see it as
an analogy of two, much bigger concepts: creation and the resurrection.
The cave is indisputably
a planned, well-made formation. Although
it is made of stone, it did not happen by chance. It had a purpose for someone. Perhaps someone needed a place to sleep, or a
place to store food. Although there
seems to be no clear record of who built it or when, it stands as evidence that
somebody who knew how to "corbel" stone created this structure.
All of creation is also
indisputable proof of a planner. The
atmosphere, the elements, the human body, ecosystems... are all too complex and
interdependent to have just happened.
That is why billions of people all around the world, for thousands of
years, have concluded that our planet and our universe was intelligently designed. From the beginning of time most people groups
have acknowledged a Creator with cave drawings, oral traditions, art,
literature and a plethora of traditions. While these people have not agreed on many
points, most of them have agreed that the Creator is a higher power and should
be treated with great reverence. Only
the most arrogant among us have concluded otherwise. All of creation is proof!
Jesus' empty tomb is also
much like the corbelled cave mentioned above.
The fact that the Jewish and Roman leaders couldn't produce the body that
was supposed to be in the tomb, in order to curb the rise of Christianity,
stands as one of the greatest proofs that Jesus rose from the dead. We may not understand how that could happen,
but it is a historical fact that as many as 16 Roman soldiers stood watch over
Jesus' body and still lost it. The
soldiers were later bribed to lie about the resurrection. But facts are stubborn.
How God created the
world and how Jesus rose from the dead are mysteries, but both creation and the
empty tomb are powerful testimonies that Jesus was who He said He was. God will always be a bit mysterious. We will never fully understand Him. His ways will always be above our ways. But He does give enough solid evidence to
those who are humble enough to seek Him.
Join billions of people this Easter as we worship the Creator who became
our savior. Rejoice with us as we point
to an empty tomb and celebrate the tangible proof that Jesus overcame death,
hell and the grave.
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