[Darris McNeely] An article came across my desk this morning that said that it could be possible for space and time to collapse if a particular particle called the Higgs boson had too much energy applied to it. Interesting concept, the idea that the universe would collapse because of time and space just simply disappearing if too much energy took place on something that is called the "God Particle". Everyone's favorite physicist Stephen Hawking wrote a introduction to a new book that's coming out in few weeks that is talking once again about this particular piece of energy or matter that was predicted, and a few years ago was actually found, called the Higgs boson.

Now, this is a very interesting term – don't get scared, it's such a unknown term, the Higgs boson – but what the Higgs boson really is, in essence, is the very fabric of energy that holds together the universe. That's about as simply as I can put it. Scientists believe that at the moment of the Big Bang, when the universe came into existence, energy and mass were created and held together by something that they call this particular Higgs boson or what it has been more popularly called, the God Particle – the very fabric of space, of matter, that they predicted would be there a few years ago. And again, in 2012, because of a huge machine that they built over in Switzerland that applied a great deal of energy to electrons – and a great force field was created – they actually proved that it existed. Now, Professor Hawking is saying that if too much energy were applied to it, that it could get out of control and space and time would collapse.

It's a fascinating subject and topic, as is the study of cosmology, and what scientists do know about our universe and are discovering almost every day with articles like this. You know, one of the things that can put the fear into a headline – and people perhaps don't have a combination of reason and faith as their foundation – is that what if something like this did happen? What if scientists got out of control and just ripped the fabric of the universe apart. Is it possible?

Well, I suppose theoretically, according to their formulas, it could be possibly done as well as so many other drastic scenarios that they predict will eventually happen as the universe expands to a point where something else more drastic will happen, but that's where, quite frankly, the matter of faith comes in, and those who do believe that there is a Creator God behind this universe can take great comfort and encouragement, as well as design and understanding, in what God does say about His role in the creation of the universe and also keeping it together because that's really what this is all about here – the idea of, can man by his own efforts destroy the universe? Don't worry; we can't.

In Hebrews 1:3, it makes a statement about God: "who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" – speaking of Jesus Christ, "who upholds all things by His power." Something that science hasn't yet discovered is that power by which God does uphold all things. We don't need to worry that some unknown force or energy – something that science calls the God Particle, or Higgs boson – if put into an unstable state, would destroy the universe. We don't need to worry about that. God is in control, just as He was when it was all created. That's encouraging and that's comforting.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.