The Story of Everything explores ultimate meaning in light of faith, science

Nearly everyone, at some point, has questions about the origin of the universe, the meaning of life, or how humankind began. These are not always indicative of doubts about faith or science, but of a natural desire to learn and to understand some of the fundamental questions asked by mankind from the beginning: Does God exist? Why was the world created? Is there a purpose to life?

These questions and more are addressed in a new film entitled The Story of Everything. Released in theaters as a limited-time Fathom Event, now through May 6, this documentary by filmmakers Brian Bird and Lee Strobel explores science as it attempts to help the viewer grasp a deeper understanding of our universe, biology, and our history as human beings.

Serving as both a science and history lesson, this film grabs the attention of the viewer from the start and not only provokes deep thought but also awe and wonder. And with stunningly beautiful imagery, language that requires thought but that isn’t over the head of the average person, and testimony from experts in philosophy and science, the film asks us to ponder whether we are here for a purpose or if we have merely been designed by accident.

Jay Richards, PhD, vice president of social and domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation and a Catholic philosopher featured in the film, explains that there are “two fundamental hypotheses about reality.”

The first, he says, is that “the story of everything is ‘purpose,’ that behind everything there is an author.” The second is that “none of that is true” and that “we’re the result of blind and impersonal processes that did not have us in mind.”

Which is true? And where can we find evidence for that which we believe? The science discussed in The Story of Everything aims to provide a better understanding.

An exploration of science

Highlighting the work of many famous scientists throughout the last 2,500 years, the film takes viewers on a challenging intellectual journey. Using writings and video clips of scientists such as Albert Einstein, Watson and Crick, Aristotle, Richard Dawkins, Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and many more, the world of scientific discovery is expertly laid out so that the viewer can gain insight into the progression of science over the last two-plus millennia.

The ultimate question—”Has the universe and everything in it been designed by God?”—is posited by those within the film.

Philosopher Stephen C. Meyer, PhD, whose book entitled Return of the God Hypothesis is the basis for the film, attempts to answer that question and at one point offers evidence for the existence of God, stating, “The discovery of information in a digital or alphabetic form at the foundation of life in molecules like DNA and RNA is a powerful indicator of a designing intelligence playing a role in the origin of that information and therefore in the origin of life itself.”

In a world filled with mindless distractions, this film not only nourishes the soul but nourishes the brain. The Story of Everything is a refreshing look at the laws of science and how science itself provides evidence of God everywhere. Throughout the film, the viewer is immersed in what can only be attributed to the immense love of a creator who made everything occur in the most perfect way, just so that we could exist. It leaves us with a sense of wonder, an understanding of our importance, and a feeling of worthiness.

In one heartwarming clip, Francis Crick, who, along with James Watson, formulated the double-helix model of DNA, said that he and Watson would sometimes just sit and stare at the DNA images, saying they would marvel at how “beautiful” it was.

A perfect positioning

I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Richards about his role in the film and his past projects, including his coauthoring of a book entitled The Privileged Planet, which he wrote with Guillermo Gonzalez. His theories within are what prompted the filmmakers to seek his expertise for The Story of Everything. The book explores the fine-tuning argument—what must have happened for our universe to have an inhabitable planet.

Dr. Richards explains that everything around us has “exquisite precision and order.” From planets within our solar system positioned in just the right place to protect Earth, to the perfect positioning of Earth, to its tilt, to our moon, to the right kind of atmosphere and geology, and more, everything had to occur just as it did in order for humans to exist today.

He explains, “It’s a remarkably exquisite system of design in which all of these pieces have to work together in order to produce a small abode on the surface of a single small planet where life can exist.”

Richards shared that he hopes the film will open up dialog about faith and science. He spoke of the “New Atheism” movement that gained popularity in the early 2000s, which sought to draw people, especially those in the scientific community, away from the belief that the universe has a creator. He also shared his belief that the “last embers” of this movement have faded and that many of its members now regret their involvement. He says he believes that culture is now coming around to the idea that there’s evidence for design in the universe.

Because he believes, as the filmmakers do, that the fundamental question today is whether we and the universe exist for a purpose or whether it does not, he said that “all of the other questions [we argue about today] pale in comparison.”

“To be able to draw from this public universal evidence that’s available to everyone,” he continued, “to be able to point toward an answer to that big cosmic question of purpose, it’s just an exciting time to be alive.” He discussed the coincidental timing of the release of the film with America’s 250^th anniversary, where all eyes are focused on Thomas Jefferson’s words, “all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…”

He added that he hopes people will return to the beliefs our country was founded upon and that he hopes The Story of Everything “helps to play a role in that revival.”

Richards concluded, “As Catholics, we know from natural reason that there is a God. . . . A foundational belief of our faith is that reason itself can lead to the existence of a creator. I really hope that Catholics in particular will take that to heart and will see this film as an encouragement of that thing that we have always believed.”

This is the conclusion that the filmmakers hope viewers, especially those who may be questioning their faith or who think that science and faith are incompatible, come to understand as well. There is a God, and He created us for a purpose.

As the film asserts, “We’re not living in a vast, meaningless universe. From the forces holding the cosmos together to the instructions in the DNA in our own bodies, we see evidence that everything was intended for a purpose, that the story of everything is not blind, pitiless indifference, but the unfolding of a grand design that all of us are part of. And surprisingly, perhaps, it is science that has revealed this.”

Science does not lead us away from God. It can and does lead us right to Him. The poignant last line of the film speaks aloud the truth depicted throughout: “The universe does not look like it’s been left to itself. It bears everywhere the fingerprints of its creator.”

The Story of Everything beautifully illustrates evidence of that fingerprint. And if you look at the world around you, you can see this evidence as well.

• Check your local theater listings for The Story of Everything. It runs through May 6.

Read original article