In these modern and trying times I feel lot of us either struggle, or have struggled, with our faith.

Faith is so simple — you just have to believe, yet so confusing, because you can’t recognize it with any of your senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste). As a science-based person, an engineer, I myself struggled with this concept, because I couldn’t prove it.

One day a man I worked with said, “If one doesn’t believe in God, what’s left? Evolution?” I was confused because yes, evolution had passed through my thoughts. He then said, “If we evolved from apes, why are there still apes?”

This sparked my curiosity to the point where I opened my Bible and other reference books, and started looking for answers.

“Evolution: the development of a species, organism or organ from its original or primitive state to its present or specialized state,” (Webster’s Dictionary). Well, this says that if evolution is true, there had to be something to start with. Oh yes, the “big bang” theory.

Suppose, just by chance, there happened to be a minute particle in the middle of nowhere (remember, nothing existed yet) and it just exploded for no reason or through no external force acting on it.

Then by that random act, a single cell of such complexity was formed, that it needed neither plan nor guidance for it to divide randomly through the years and to ultimately form each and every living organism in our society as we know it today. Wow! Seems like an awful lot of random ‘ifs” and “chances.”

To me, this is harder to conceive of than the creation as explained in the Holy Bible.

First of all, we still needed that first particle — which science has no explanation for. Second, we know scientifically by Newton’s Law that only an external force greater than the result (universe) could have caused this explosion and nothing (or no one) else existed at this time.

Whichever way you care to look at this, there was something or someone here before time began, in order to orchestrate such a magnificent feat. I believe in Bible facts through faith that this conductor was God.

I hope this has sparked your curiosity enough to cause you to seek answers for yourself. I feel your Holy Bible or church is a great place to start. I’m sure you’ll find  the answers you’re looking for. God bless all!

Jeff Long lives in Rowan County.