The Paradox of Randomness

As I tried (in vain) to get a few more precious minutes of sleep this morning, my thoughts trailed off to the randomness of nature. 

Because the randomness of nature is, in truth, a paradox. 

I was thinking, specifically, of the course of a creek as it dances over rocks and sings as it splashes into small pools. It is a mesmerizing sound. 

Have you ever experienced it? Have you ever sat by a creek or stream as it winds its way down the creek bed, heading to some larger creek, river or lake? Have you ever allowed yourself to be free of intrusive thoughts, and let the creek sing to you? 

If you listen closely you can start to hear the pattern: the specific splashes made against rocks or boulders that happen with frequency, and in some cases, at specific times and intervals. And that's where the paradox lies.

For even within that pattern you can find that it's random. 

I have one of those sound makers by our bed with a "bubbling creek" sound, but I discovered after a while that it is looped, and that the loop lasts about 15 seconds. And so, instead of lulling me to sleep, I began to pay attention to the specific sound made at the beginning of each loop. 

But with nature, there is that paradox of randomness, where there is no loop: the sound repeats, yes. But it also continues on, perhaps changing pitch or loudness as the volume of water increases or decreases. Perhaps a tree branch or even a whole tree tumbles into the creek, changing the direction of the water over different rocks, or adding a new sound of its own.

And that brings me to the ultimate paradox: God. 

God created and continues to create within nature. What is done is done, but yet it is not finished. The creative act of God is ongoing. God never stops creating in nature, or in his beloved children. 

Just as the creek wanders and continually makes the same sounds, it is also changing. It is a small example of the work of God, and a metaphor for us as His children. 

The Truth is in the Paradox.