Amidst the journey leading to Easter and my recent travels, I failed to take note of the passing of one of the world's great scientists, Stephen Hawking.  Perhaps one of the most well known scientists on the planet, Stephen Hawking did some extraordinary and ground breaking work on the nature of the universe.  And he did most of it while dealing with the dehabilitations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  In a life that lasted far longer than anyone could have predicted, Hawking made immense contributions to our understanding of reality.
     Many people are uncertain as to where Hawking stood spiritually.  Many are uncomfortable with how he seemed to push God well away from any role in cosmic origins.  Regardless, we can thank Hawking for demonstrating to us that whether we believe in God or not, we live in a thoroughly amazing cosmos.  Its fullness is overwhelming.
     Furthermore, the universe is ultimately about harmony, structure, and order.  It is intelligible, it is understandable.
     And it would not exist without intelligence, not ours of course, but God's.
     Rest well, Professor Hawking.