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Finding God in the Waves






Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost my Faith and Found it Again Through Science by Mike McHargue

I really thought this book was going to be a dud.  I was under the impression that this was going to be another one of those 'find god through the particles' book that didn't really move anyone to believe or not believe.  Yet, as I read through Finding God in the Waves, it was different, very different.  Mike isn't really trying to sell you something in the book but tell you a story.  Really, the book is good at gathering Mike's story and telling it through the lens of a boy's curiosity.

Growing up in "husky" jeans and being that kid who didn't fit into most conventional groups, Mike felt the pangs of loneliness in his early years.  Even at that, his brain was hardwired for curiosity, he had to know how things worked.  Growing up as Christian at 7 in a conservative Southern Baptist Church, he was baptized early on and began to be involved in the events of a evangelical church.  As a high school senior, Mike met Jenny Frye and suddenly became enamored with her.  Mike at that time wasn't a regular church goer but his future wife was, and so the prodding continued for some time.

Mike begin to seriously investigate the bible to see what it had to say with regards to what science purports.  Why hadn't God said that Genesis 1 and 2 were written to address two things, one, the whole word being made, and second, the creation of the Garden of Eden?  Further, why is God killing the Egyptian firstborn and drowning people during Noah's time?  These questions Mike pondered as he went about his study.  And yet, throughout the book, Mike evidences times when even in his doubt he saw how Christian practices work.  He writes, "Most of all, I had seen prayer work...We all prayed for her (his mom), and in a few months her tumors were gone." (49)

There is nothing more freeing in this world than knowing someone will hear your secrets or confessional thoughts and care for you through them.  As Mike shared his non-belief in God anymore, she tried to evangelized him but kept his secret.  The thing that was really fascinating about this is that Mike sought to interact with his church friends the same way at times but invited them to star parties and other events.  And yet he came back to God, albeit a different route.  Mike writes, "How do you know God is real?"  I know God is real because I see the work of God via telescopes, space probes, and particle accelerators.  Instead of fighting science or trying to filter science through my understanding of God, I discovered that you can begin by accepting scientific evidence - (149)"

I really enjoyed Mike's story and I hope you will too.

Thanks to Blogging for Books and Convergent for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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