Why not God of the Gaps?

[Dale (evolutionary providentialist)]

@Dale

You brought up a question in another thread that speaks to the consideration of God’s providential interventions. We just need to fill in the blank substituting different words:

@T_aquaticus

“What if?” What if we do ____________–what should we see?

This is not about the so-called gaps in scientific evidence where some may want to infer Goddidit, the topic of this thread, but rather the opposite, namely factual evidence at hand where many have legitimately inferred that God’s sovereignty over events fulfilled a purpose or purposes in someone’s life, or multiple lives in some instances.

@T_aquaticus

@Dale

namely factual evidence at hand where many have legitimately inferred that God’s sovereignty over events fulfilled a purpose or purposes in someone’s life

“Legitimately inferred” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that post.

It could have been easier but you didn’t volunteer to fill in the blank.

For YECs and scientists the question reads:

@T_aquaticus

What if we do share a common ancestor –what should we see?

For doubters and believers it might be

What if we do have a God who providentially intervenes in the lives of his children – what should we see?

I see remarkable ordering of events, delightful surprises and some hard providences.¹ But it fits my expectations, experience and worldview like a glove.

 

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¹ I’m reminded of Sheldon Vanauken’s book, A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph, about himself as a young intellectual who was mentored by C.S. Lewis (who was also his friend), accepting Christian doctrine but not maturing as a Christian until after tragically losing his wife.