As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the Sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”   

The creators of the theme park called “Jurassic Park” in the movie of the same name were probably God-believing men and women. In their minds, there may have been a higher power who was responsible for our world, but when their minds were taken with the incredible technology that they possessed, and more importantly, with what the incredible technology could create, they lost sight of God’s presence. As Dr. Malcomb suggests in this session of “Jurassic Park,” it is a dangerous time in people’s lives when raw technology takes over life. 

Christians believe that God created the world. They have no doubt about it, and the Scriptures verify it, especially the first two chapters of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. There is much debate on how the world was created, and whether the words of Scripture should be taken literally, but there is no doubt about the religious truth. For the believer, how ever the world was created, God did it.

Further, God set aside the “seventh day” for rest. During Jesus’ time, the Sabbath rest was extremely important, something that the Pharisees always stressed in their religious practices, and in Jesus’ mind, probably stressed too much. Looked at from the point of view of keeping holy the Sabbath, we can understand a day of rest, but perhaps there is another reason for the creation of the “seventh day.” Perhaps God was saying to us that at least every week, we must remember the presence of God, always realizing that God is truly in charge of the world. Perhaps, also, God was telling us that if we try to live in our world on our own power, we will in the end hurt people.

The intelligence of men and women can do incredible things. It is no longer science fiction to produce a “Jurassic Park” in our world. In fact, we are closer to understanding DNA technology more than we ever have been, and as a result, we may open possibilities of further unbelievable discoveries. We must learn to approach such times with respect for God, always remembering the power of God even as we continue to advance our technology.       

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we know that you have created our world, and we know that you have given us the intelligence to discover and create wonderful things with your creation. Help us always acknowledge your presence even as we try to improve our lives. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America