The universal light speed mystery

Psalm 19:1

1 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands.

Light travels at an astounding speed of approximately 186,282 miles per second ( which is about 670 million miles per hour), allowing it to circle the Earth more than seven times in just one second. In contrast, human space travel is significantly slower; for instance, the SpaceX Starship which travels at approximately 17,000 miles per hour would still take months to reach Mars, our closest planetary neighbor. Traveling to planets like Jupiter or Saturn would take several years at such speeds, highlighting the vast distances in our solar system and the limitations of current space travel technology. And to further the point, traveling at the speed of a commercial airliner (approximately 530 miles per hour) would take 161.7 years to reach Saturn.

And here’s the paradox of light.The light that reaches us from the most distant stars has traveled through the vastness of space for billions of years, revealing glimpses of the universe as it existed long ago. When we observe these celestial bodies, we are not seeing them as they are in the present, but rather as they were in the distant past. We are literally seeing the past. For instance, light from a star that is a billion light-years away has taken a billion years to reach Earth, meaning we are witnessing an event that occurred in a time long before human existence. We are literally seeing the past. This phenomenon highlights the enormity of space and time, illustrating that the cosmos is a reflection of its own history, forever etched in the light that finally reaches our eyes.

And what of this phenomenon ? The objects we encounter daily are similarly not the entities themselves but rather a reflection of their former existence, shaped by the passage of time and perception. A good example of this would be when we’ve yelled into a canyon or an empty room. We can perceive the delay (obviously) because our ears can hear the delay. And much like sound, light also has a delay, however, because of the enormous speed of light, we can’t perceive it. So should we trust our senses? Of course! But the exercise is not just about our senses, but something beyond our senses. The paradox is how do we see the present and the past all in the same moment? Our senses only allow us to see what was, but not what is. The moment we see something, it’s already in the past. And to see what is, is to see the truth.

So how do we see the truth? By faith! Faith is the ability to see and trust that which is beyond our senses, our perceptions. What we have already seen is passing away, but that which is unseen is forever! We see this in Hebrews 11:1-3 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Live today beyond what we see!!

Prayerful Thought….

…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal 2 Corinthians 4:18

And Remember…….

“Sometimes we are tested, not to show our weakness, but to discover our strength. Fear is “What if,“ Faith is “Even if”

May the peace and grace of the Lord always be with you” - Dr Lee