Seventh-day Adventist® Church

The Olympic Torch arrived in Norwich today. The birthplace of my parents. And I still have family that live in and near this city. And I have family who live in other countries, other continents.

I single out one uncle, as today a momentous announcement was made within his scientific field of work. My uncle, Dr David Stickland, works at one of the particle research centres in Cern, Switzerland. I am very proud of my uncle in the work he is involved with. He is working on one of the four experiments seeking to find the Higgs boson particle.

Nicknamed "the God particle", the Higgs boson particle is a theoretical particle which could help prove theories about particles, matter, and mass. I might not have got this exactly right but this is how I roughly understand it. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/eureka-cern-announces-discovery-of-higgs-boson-god-particle-7907677.html). The announcement has not proved its existence, but "experiments see strong indications for the presence of a new particle", and "the experiments found hints of the new particle". (http://public.web.cern.ch/public/)

I am sure that when the particle has been found for sure, it will spark all kinds of theories and further experiments on the origin of the universe. An interesting time in earth's scientific history.

These particles used in the experiments are very small. But they matter so much that after nearly 50 years research and £2.6billion, research will still continue to search and find them. Small things matter. (No pun intended, if you got the inference).

Small things matter to God. I believe in intelligent design. Why could particles not be made with their own field of force? God uses small things to help us learn.

Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

Here we can learn from this small insect how to prepare ourselves.

Mark 4:31
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.

Luke 13:19
It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.’

Luke 17:6
He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.

Here Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, and faith. The kingdom of God is small but becomes large, and is the measure of faith we need in order for God to work in our lives.

I am happy that scientific theories challenge the way I think and believe. I am happy that Jesus challenges me to consider small things. I am happy that being in the presence of God gives me a perspective of the minute, miniature, massive, and mega.

-Pr Nathan Stickland