Today Stephen Hawking got the rare distinctive honor to be buried between Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. An atheist being buried in a church while the reverend said a few sweet words from the prayer book. This is the tragedy of the modern Christendom!
Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking: Three great scientists, a Christian, an Agnostic and an atheist respectively. Their lives epitomize the three phases the mainstream West went through: Christian, agnostic and atheistic.
While his ashes were buried at the Westminster, his voice was sent into the space towards a black hole. After thousands of years his words will be absorbed by the event horizon of the black hole. It shows our perennial quest for significance in the eternal silence of the infinite space. Stephen Hawking did outstanding research on black hole radiation. They etched his equation for black hole radiation on his grave stone.
Stephen Hawking made a lot of money, earned lot of fame, became a household name around the world and was buried in a famous church. Yet the words which come into my mind when I think about him, are the words of Jesus: What shall it profit for a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?
By denying God, His existence, His purpose, His salvation through Jesus Christ, Stephen Hawking lost his own soul to an eternity without hope. Thats the saddest part of his life.
Let us hope and pray that our modern scientists return to the faith of Newton in God and His word.
Having your ashes buried in a church and a priest saying a few sweet words from a prayer book does not save your soul. You should confess that you are a sinner, believe in Lord Jesus as your personal Savior and make Him the Lord of your life and eternity.
Peace!