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Originally published in the South Jetty Newspaper

For a few years, we held an annual “Copernicus Day” celebration at the Gaff Bar. We met there for a relaxed setting and a neutral site to celebrate the harmony of science and religion. That may sound discordant to some, but I have grown up understanding the two not to be at odds. Instead, they pose different questions, and hold different truths about our reality. When it comes to questions about how things came to be, I turn to science, and do my best to understand the Big Bang, the evolution of life on earth, and if I want to stretch my brain, even a bit of quantum mechanics.


The why questions of the heart bring me back to religion. Tending my soul ushers me into the unverifiable, experiential realm of the mystics. Here, I trust that Moses heard God speak from an unconsumed burning bush and that transformative encounter led him to stand up to a world superpower to liberate enslaved people. When it comes to religious experience, the unbridled imagination can be the best chariot to ride, sometimes leaving our calculating egos tasting nothing but dust. Jesus had such a profound effect on those among whom he lived, that we are still pondering with Mother Mary the enfleshed God. St. John puts it this way: the organizing principle (Logos) that brought the cosmos into being is born into that same cosmos as Jesus.

I need both science and religion for a balanced, healthy existence. It is thrilling to watch as my son Eli becomes more aware through his scientific exploration (sometimes even choosing to experiment and note findings over time with a video game!) Some nights he and I sit staring up at the stars and our conversation ranges from flashing blue-and-red quasars, to how our loved ones are still present with us, though they have apparently vanished through death’s door. The whole conversation is important for his development and our relationship.

Even though I will be away later this year on Copernicus Day, I honor his courage, and value his discoveries, even as I lament the shortsightedness of the church hierarchy of his time. Now Copernicus is on my church’s calendar of saints as an example to follow. Pray for us, Copernicus, that we might continue to learn the mysteries of the soul’s relationship with God and the ever growing discoveries of scientists; that both endeavors may lead to a better world.

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