Grace....

I don't consider myself a particularly religious man. I was raised Catholic, and raised my children in that tradition. As a scientist, it is a particularly thorny issue to struggle with the apparent dichotomy between the natural sciences and religion. Personally, I find the beauty imposed by the natural order of things to be divine. For example, the evolution of brightly colored flowers which serve to attract the birds and bees that dutifully spread their pollen. Those species of flowers which were differentiated from others thrived in a competitive universe.

I realize that life is an imperfect endeavor. Looking upon my life, I have many things to be thankful for, including a loving family, friends that care deeply about my well-being, a job that I find stimulating and wonderful, among other things. This reflection leads me to ask about what is "god's grace" and is there such a thing? I've come to the conclusion that god's grace provides me with what I need. God's mercy spares me from what I deserve. Perhaps as I get older I am beginning to reconcile the not-so-distant relationship between science and religion.