[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 09/Oct/2017]
In the amusing trilogy in four parts (!), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the story is told of some philosophers on a distant planet who wanted to know the answer to life, the universe and everything. They decided to build a powerful computer called “Deep Thought” to find the answer, but it would take millions of years to run the program. When it was completed the descendants of the philosophers gathered to hear the computer’s decision. They were stunned when they heard it say, “You are not going to like this. The answer to life, the universe and everything is … 42.”
I often think of this story when I hear astronomers and scientists talk about the results from a space probe or a telescope orbiting the earth, that the data would help them understand the origins of the universe and of life on earth. I must admit that I smile at this the same as I do about the story of the philosophers, because we as Christians already know the answer. This is clearly found many times in the Bible such as in Colossians 1:15 – 20.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (NLT)
We don’t need a computer, it’s all in God’s Word. The answer to the question is not 42, but the real answer is Jesus the Lord who created life, the universe and everything. He lived, died and rose from the dead to bring us forgiveness for our sins, and if you believe in Him as your Saviour and Lord, then together let’s praise and worship Him today and every day forever.
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Contributed by Michael Goble; © the Author
