If wisdom beholds the darkness that covers the Face of the Deep, revealed in the Spirit to be dazzling love, it is little surprise that science does not behold what only wisdom sees, for it is wisdom, not science, that beholds the dazzling light of the glory of love. Wisdom abides with the Spirit in the Son’s love of the Father, concealed until science turns to see what wisdom beholds. Some scientists do indeed become aware that when space and time fall away, wisdom may behold a different glory, but then they become aware their science can be completed by wisdom. When wisdom beheld the heavens in ancient times, it used to see stars, not as suns, but as throngs of angels, encircling one another as angelic hosts, rather than material galaxies. But whilst science now sees galaxies, it does not follow that the language of materialism is the only possible way to speak. Gravity can be seen as a material force but can still harbour different symbolisms that wisdom employs to unveil glory. As love, gravity is not opposed to grace but unveils the glory of grace, throwing a rather different light on black holes as openings to other realms or different dimensions. If the Face of the Deep is perceived in the Spirit to be dazzling love, then it is no surprise that love’s gravity can take many different forms, wherever we turn to see.
Uncreated love has always been dazzling, but now wisdom is free to listen to science and to offer new ways to speak of dazzling darkness as the uncreated luminosity of love. Black holes are the language of science but their transcendence of time and space has other implications for wisdom, inviting new kinds of co-operation between science and wisdom. The metaphors of science seek to throw light on what science is discovering but sometimes reflect the perspective of fear rather than love. if love is wisdom’s ultimate concern, it can be suggestive if the language of love, rather than fear, can be remembered. Like dark matter, love is invisible but of overwhelming importance in our universe. Like black holes, love consumes time and space as it unveils timeless glory. If love is the Face of the Deep, love precedes as well as succeeds creation, being timeless in its dazzling glory.
Wonder embraces what wisdom beholds as the ineffable glory of love, so love meets us wherever we turn and supersedes all that we can behold. Love is timeless glory whose completeness opens temporal incompleteness to the glory of completeness. Fear’s metaphors reflect the terror of death whereas love’s metaphors suggest the transfiguring resplendence of divine life. Terror evokes fear, whereas love calls on completeness in the midst of incompleteness. Wonder beholds what science discovers with awe, giving rise to ineffable gratitude. What dazzles is not terror but love that sustains all things with power and glory. From the Face of the Deep to the very last star, love enfolds what science discovers with generous grace whose glory is ineffable. In the silence of graced stillness, the Spirit’s love breathes on the formless void with life-giving tenderness, curing terror and fear of their inescapable desolation. Love dazzles fear and overwhelms terror as it uncovers the glories of the discoveries of science, wedding science and wisdom in the stillness before the dawn. Love dazzles to liberate fear by unveiling love, to cure terror by revealing the transfiguring glory of love, opening the heavens to love’s timeless realms of ineffable glory.