The mice in the piano....

Its been quite a day week month. I've been trying to write this post for several days. Here's what's going on: Friday was my last day at Digital Dog, on Wednesday the car that I normally drive (a Honda CRV) rolled over 100,000 miles. (I'm a run the wheels off of it, kind of guy. We don't trade very often.) Also, I just heard today that the truck passed the emissions test (yeah!)

Originally, I had planned to do a post about the car turning 100K miles. I took the camera along on the day that it turned over so that I could record the event for posterity. The most amazing thing that needed photographing, however, was the sky. For the last year or so, I've really started paying attention to clouds. They are like a beautiful picture painted on a huge canvas hanging over our heads. I wonder if God thinks of it that way. I was also struck by the blue sky behind the clouds, it was gorgeous. (I have a few more pictures here)

This reminded of a commercial years ago where a child asks a father "Why is the sky blue?" and the dad begins to explain the atmospheric absorption theory. Of course, the child has no interest in the scientific theory behind why the sky is blue.

It is interesting how we are affected by the color blue, I copied this from a page on the psychology of colors:

Blue

Physiological Effect: In contrast to red, blue proves to lower blood pressure. Blue can be linked to the throat and thyroid gland. Blue also has a very cooling and soothing affect, often making us calmer. Deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, which then regulates our sleep patterns. This deeper blue also has proved to help the skeletal structure in keeping bone marrow healthy.

Psychological Effect: We usually associate the color blue with the night and thus we feel relaxed and calmed. Lighter blues make us feel quiet and away from the rush of the day. These colors can be useful in eliminating insomnia. Like yellow, blue inspires mental control, clarity and creativity. However, too much dark blue can be depressing.

But, the question really is...why is the sky blue? Does it all boil down to math and science? or does God use the physical laws of our world to paint us a beautiful picture or to calm us? I was reminded of a story that I heard years ago, I was able to find it through the magic of Google.

Imagine a family of mice who lived all their lives in a large piano. In their piano world the music of the instrument filled all the dark spaces with sound and harmony. At first the mice were impressed by it. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that there was Someone who made the music - though invisible to them - above, yet close to them. They loved to think of the Great Player whom they could not see. Then one day a daring mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found out how the music was made. Wires were the secret; tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths which tremble and vibrate. The mice must revise all their old beliefs. Some, however, still held on to the faith in the Unseen Player.

Later, another explorer carried the explanation further. Hammers were now the secret, many hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. This was a more complicated theory, but it all went to show that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world. Now mothers told their little ones about the myth of the Unseen Player.

But the pianist continued to play.
(from the LONDON OBSERVER)

As we learn more and more about our universe we learn that we live in a finely tuned universe. The slightest change in any one of many factors would mean that we could not survive. Are we here because everything just fell into place? We won some cosmic lottery? Or, was this universe made for the specific purpose of us being here? My belief is that we are here because God wants us here. The sky is blue because blue makes a beautiful canvas and the sunset is God's way of saying goodnight...