I continue to marvel at our passionate drive to understand who we are, why we are here, and where we came from.

Particle physicists are leading the charge to better define the laws and forces of nature. It has been known for some time that there are four (4) forces that hold our universe together: 1) the strong force which binds nuclei, 2) the weak force responsible for particle decay, 3) the electromagnetic force, and 4) the force of gravity. Physicists have adopted what they refer to as a “Standard Model”, which describes the interactions of 17 particles constituting all the ordinary matter and energy in the universe while unifying three of the four forces.  Gravity is the only force not described by these particles in the Standard Model. 

Today, billions of dollars have been expended in construction of particle accelerators to find what is believed to be the last missing piece of the Standard Model – the Higgs Boson particle. The search goes on.

The world’s most ambitious search for this particle is taking place within the confines of the most powerful particle accelerator ever constructed -  the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 17 mile ring sitting on the border of Switzerland and France.

The elusive Higgs has been referred to as the “God” particle because it is believed to be the overall unifying particle that gives all other particles their mass. It is invisible and immeasurable. Some physicists have referred to it as “virtual”, but most would agree that it exists. It is the universe’s central unifying “thing” and the reason for all that there is and ever was. 

Sound familiar? Aren’t these the characteristics of God himself? Isn’t He invisible, immeasurable and the unifying “thing”? Isn’t He the reason and cause for all there is and ever was?

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting that we will all find God by smashing atoms together within a 17 mile ring somewhere in Europe. And I’m not suggesting that the Higgs particle is God Himself. But I do find it kind of interesting that our greatest scientific minds seem convinced that there is indeed a cause and unifying factor responsible for all that we are and ever have been.

Higgs Boson particle and God – interesting analogy isn’t it?

I can’t help but think of the cartoon of leading scientists spending years scaling the heights of discovery and finally, after heaving themselves up over the very last ledge and reaching the pinnacle, their elation is only surpassed by their shock at finding a theologian already sitting there.