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Some final thoughts on the framework of eternity and space are tied to the second law of thermodynamics,
which was first stated by William Thomson in 1851. He is better known historically as Lord Kelvin. This law states that “the entropy of an
isolated system not at equilibrium will tend to increase over time, approaching a maximum value.2.30
Entropy is the amount of disorder in a system. The implication of the second law is that all systems will become more and more disordered,
until equilibrium is achieved. This concept certainly falls in the realm of science, especially since we are getting better and better at measuring
things like the disorder of a system.
An opposing law, described in a book titled “Why?”, is titled the law of levity. This law notes as life evolves,
life always becomes more and more complex. Sections in Chapter 3 describe “things to act,” and “things to be acted upon.” In a physical sense,
“things to be acted upon” are becoming more disordered and following the second law of thermodynamics. While “things to act,” like storms and
earthquakes do create disorder, in general, life, the main force on earth “to act,” does the opposite, creating order.
Life creates order. Life organizes matter. Life builds shells, and ladders, and bridges, and tools, and machines.
Life waves, and floats, and swims, and crawls, and walks, and runs, and flies, and explores. Life is texture, and color, and sound, and smell, and taste.
Life is born, and grows, and reacts, and responds, and dies. Life gets sick, is self healing, learning, recording, improving, and expanding. Life is
completely improbable, statistically impossible, fragile yet strong, tender yet persevering, weak yet overcoming, and seems to be stored, planted,
guided, transplanted, grafted, and to be a tool in the hands of an unseen master gardener. Life seems to have a mission, a goal, an end-game, a
purpose. Life breathes meaning into religion, which in turn provides a window into the meaning and purpose of life.
An implication of levity is that life will eventually fill the universe. The stated end-game of Judeo-Christianity is
“unto me every knee will bend and every tongue swear.” (Isaiah 45:23 and Romans 14:11) Similarly the Holy Qur’an of Islam teaches us
“Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostate themselves to Allah (acknowledging subjection) – with goodwill or in spite of
themselves: So do their shadows in the mornings and evenings.”2.31
Hopefully contemplation of these various perspectives of time and eternity not only provides a
framework for reconciling differences in science and religion, but also open new insights and understandings, opening minds to being
more receptive to another point of view. A lifetime of study has convinced me no one knows all of the answers, and yet everyone
knows some of the answers. Working together we will come to know more than thinking and praying alone.
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paradoxes