The Nature of Darkness
I got to overhear part of a very interesting presentation at work today. It was given at a U of U College of Science event and was entitled The New Cosmology and the Nature of Darkness.
I had to leave early, but what I got to hear was fantastic. To sum it up, it was about how two phenomena called Dark Energy and Dark Matter make up most of the known universe. They consist of, respectively, the energy that is left in a quantum vacuum (when all known elements are removed from a space), and the mass that balances the galaxies, which, according to current data, are spinning faster than the gravity generated by their observable mass can support.
It was also about why the night sky is dark when every millimeter of it should be filled by a star - as proven by showing charts of known stars. The answer to this one had to do with the nature of light. When light is generated by a star it begins at the high end of the electromagnetic spectrum - as gamma rays. Over long distances, the wavelength of the light gradually increases until it enters the visible spectrum. Over longer distances, it continues through that spectrum until it becomes infrared and then microwave energy. Only some stars are within such a distance from our earth that their light is visible to us. The light from others is hitting us, but it is doing so in the microwave region of the spectrum, so we can't see it. In essence, this creates a boundary to the universe beyond which we cannot look from our present position. Of course, this boundary would continually shift as we move about the galaxy, but it imposes limits on what we can use visible light to discern.
Whether you're talking about matter, energy, or stars, there is substance left over in darkness and nothingness.
The presenter of this material summed up these ideas by saying that "nothing is something" and that, because we don't know what it is, "we don't understand nothing."
So what does this knowledge teach us about spiritual light and darkness?
The first thing I thought of is that God's creations are so vast, that they would literally fill our entire view, could we see them all. We don't look into the night sky and see nothing. I don't know about you, but I've always sensed a certain fullness as I gazed at the stars - particularly from more elevated positions. I've just understood that there was way more out there than I could see. What I learned at this meeting added to that awe. As the Lord said, "there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom" (D&C 88:37).
The second thing I though of was related to night sky and the comment the presenter made that "when we look long distances, we're looking into the past" because we're seeing light that was generated/reflected towards us many years ago. I wondered about the sign the Nephites saw of Christ's birth. The sky was as light as day (which is exactly what the presenter said would happen if we could see everything in it) in spite of the fact that the sun was seen to go down like always. Perhaps long ago on some other great day (maybe during the creation, maybe at the time of Christ's spirit birth, this is just useless speculation) the stars bore witness by giving off such light that it illuminated the sky for one period on the earth on another significant day. However it worked, it was an interesting idea to think that the sign may have been brought about by somehow allowing the inhabitants of this world to see everything that was in God's universe, thereby filling the sky with light. We know that has happened to people before (Moses, Enoch, et al.).
Now we turn to darkness.
I thought about Isaiah: "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (60:2).
I also thought about this: "And the earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water; for I am God" (Moses 2:2). I won't deal with the idea of water existing (even in bodies) before the creation other than to say that it makes sense, given it unique characteristics and use in saving ordinances, but what was that about darkness? Perhaps some of this dark energy and/or matter is pre-created matter or the energy used in creation. Why would God - the being of perfect light - cause darkness to cover his creations as the very first step? I'm not suggesting that this is literally something essential to salvation, but it does have interesting symbolic implications that can help us, I think. The veil of forgetfulness, for example, or the precondition of mortality to eternal progression. Also, if you have read much of my writing, you know how I feel about the significance of creation.
The next two verses read, "And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light. And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness." That God began his work with darkness rather than light is important to the context here. You have to separate darkness from evil for this to make sense, but remember that God caused the darkness in the last verse. Of course, he saw the light, that it was good, which Alma supports, and gives a reason for: "whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible" (Alma 32:35). However, we know that not all discernible light is visible light. We also know that light radiates outward in all directions from its source, and that "light is spirit" (D&C 84:45). We further know that that spirit/light "proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space" (D&C 88:12). Interesting, since, according to science, visible light (photons) makes up such a small part of the matter in the universe that on a pie chart its slice would fit within the line separating two other slices. Not all light is visible, of course. This "darkness" the presentation was about is only dark because we don't see or understand it. I wonder how much of it is really light. Perhaps all, some, or none.
I don't really know the answer to any of this, but it got my brain working. We know that it is good to walk in the light, yet we know that this earth is covered in mists of darkness. A small piece of light in the midst of darkness is a powerful thing, and is, as Alma said, discernible. The human eye is capable of detecting even a single photon under the right conditions. How important is it to understand darkness as well as light? I'm not sure, but I think it's worth looking into.
I had to leave early, but what I got to hear was fantastic. To sum it up, it was about how two phenomena called Dark Energy and Dark Matter make up most of the known universe. They consist of, respectively, the energy that is left in a quantum vacuum (when all known elements are removed from a space), and the mass that balances the galaxies, which, according to current data, are spinning faster than the gravity generated by their observable mass can support.
It was also about why the night sky is dark when every millimeter of it should be filled by a star - as proven by showing charts of known stars. The answer to this one had to do with the nature of light. When light is generated by a star it begins at the high end of the electromagnetic spectrum - as gamma rays. Over long distances, the wavelength of the light gradually increases until it enters the visible spectrum. Over longer distances, it continues through that spectrum until it becomes infrared and then microwave energy. Only some stars are within such a distance from our earth that their light is visible to us. The light from others is hitting us, but it is doing so in the microwave region of the spectrum, so we can't see it. In essence, this creates a boundary to the universe beyond which we cannot look from our present position. Of course, this boundary would continually shift as we move about the galaxy, but it imposes limits on what we can use visible light to discern.
Whether you're talking about matter, energy, or stars, there is substance left over in darkness and nothingness.
The presenter of this material summed up these ideas by saying that "nothing is something" and that, because we don't know what it is, "we don't understand nothing."
So what does this knowledge teach us about spiritual light and darkness?
The first thing I thought of is that God's creations are so vast, that they would literally fill our entire view, could we see them all. We don't look into the night sky and see nothing. I don't know about you, but I've always sensed a certain fullness as I gazed at the stars - particularly from more elevated positions. I've just understood that there was way more out there than I could see. What I learned at this meeting added to that awe. As the Lord said, "there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom" (D&C 88:37).
The second thing I though of was related to night sky and the comment the presenter made that "when we look long distances, we're looking into the past" because we're seeing light that was generated/reflected towards us many years ago. I wondered about the sign the Nephites saw of Christ's birth. The sky was as light as day (which is exactly what the presenter said would happen if we could see everything in it) in spite of the fact that the sun was seen to go down like always. Perhaps long ago on some other great day (maybe during the creation, maybe at the time of Christ's spirit birth, this is just useless speculation) the stars bore witness by giving off such light that it illuminated the sky for one period on the earth on another significant day. However it worked, it was an interesting idea to think that the sign may have been brought about by somehow allowing the inhabitants of this world to see everything that was in God's universe, thereby filling the sky with light. We know that has happened to people before (Moses, Enoch, et al.).
Now we turn to darkness.
I thought about Isaiah: "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (60:2).
I also thought about this: "And the earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water; for I am God" (Moses 2:2). I won't deal with the idea of water existing (even in bodies) before the creation other than to say that it makes sense, given it unique characteristics and use in saving ordinances, but what was that about darkness? Perhaps some of this dark energy and/or matter is pre-created matter or the energy used in creation. Why would God - the being of perfect light - cause darkness to cover his creations as the very first step? I'm not suggesting that this is literally something essential to salvation, but it does have interesting symbolic implications that can help us, I think. The veil of forgetfulness, for example, or the precondition of mortality to eternal progression. Also, if you have read much of my writing, you know how I feel about the significance of creation.
The next two verses read, "And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light. And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness." That God began his work with darkness rather than light is important to the context here. You have to separate darkness from evil for this to make sense, but remember that God caused the darkness in the last verse. Of course, he saw the light, that it was good, which Alma supports, and gives a reason for: "whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible" (Alma 32:35). However, we know that not all discernible light is visible light. We also know that light radiates outward in all directions from its source, and that "light is spirit" (D&C 84:45). We further know that that spirit/light "proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space" (D&C 88:12). Interesting, since, according to science, visible light (photons) makes up such a small part of the matter in the universe that on a pie chart its slice would fit within the line separating two other slices. Not all light is visible, of course. This "darkness" the presentation was about is only dark because we don't see or understand it. I wonder how much of it is really light. Perhaps all, some, or none.
I don't really know the answer to any of this, but it got my brain working. We know that it is good to walk in the light, yet we know that this earth is covered in mists of darkness. A small piece of light in the midst of darkness is a powerful thing, and is, as Alma said, discernible. The human eye is capable of detecting even a single photon under the right conditions. How important is it to understand darkness as well as light? I'm not sure, but I think it's worth looking into.
Comments
My motto is assume we know nothing. I think everything would move more smoothly with that kind of humility....
Right after light is commanded, we find the light and darkness are one or meshed together somehow because God then divides them.
Seems like a paradox. How can there be darkness where there is light? Physically or spiritually. Nothingness and the all.
I know I'm late to the post, but couldn't help but comment.
Thanks for chiming in on this.
"Seems like a paradox."
If you read many of my posts you'll realize that I believe in paradox. I once had a professor who said that "all truth is found in paradox," by which I think he meant that the tension created by paradox keeps things in balance. Paradoxical relationships are evidence of truth to me, not proof of falsehood.
Of course, it has to be a true paradox and not just a simple contradiction. I think this is part of the opposition that is in all things, which goes way beyond good opposing evil. The example I like to use is the way surface tension and gravity act against each other to keep a barely-over-full glass of water from spilling, or how gravity and inertia oppose each other in such a way that planets are kept in orbit. The forces are opposing, but neither of them is evil. The opposition makes the universe work.