Dear Mr. Hawking

I felt the need to write a letter after reading this article...

Dear Mr. Hawking,

I was saddened today to read about your latest conclusions to your scientific studies. You are renowned around the world as a brilliant man with an incredible mind, able to challenge many scientific theories and add to our knowledge of the world as we see it, as well as don't see it. Despite your disability that weakens your muscles, you have been given a great gift - the ability to reason and think on a deeper level than most people.

Where did this gift come from? Did it come from gravity? Your recent findings suggest that gravity is the cause of spontaneous creation, so is it responsible for intellect, for genius? What about for emotion? Is gravity what makes us ponder the mysteries of the universe, or long for relationship, or feel guilt over wrong, or feel anger over injustice? If so, my goodness gravity is much more intelligent than anyone ever gave it credit for before! Maybe it was resentful at being ignored, and that is why it threw an apple at dear Newton's noggin.

And tell me, if gravity is so complex, where did it come from? Gravity cannot begat gravity, can it? And even if it could, how did the first gravity come into "being"? Very peculiar... it seems to me such an extraordinary creation could not just appear and begin creating. Something must have set it in place and set it in motion... but what??

I don't want to write this simply to question your research... I felt compelled to write because your conclusion breaks my heart, for it reveals that you have no hope. You are a weak and dying man, Mr. Hawking, without physical strength or a cure to look forward to. But those things in themselves do not have to seal your doom. After all, I know a dear old man - very smart and innovative like you - who is also dying of ALS, and he is better off than you, simply because he has hope that will be realized. Unlike you, he believes that God created the universe, including gravity. But his belief goes beyond that... he believes this same Creator God has a passion for reconciliation - that his greatest desire is for us to be with him, to know and love him, and to realize more and more every day his love for us. He believes that this Loving God gave his Son Jesus to die and raise again so that we could have victory over sin and death. He believes we were created for a lot more than spontaneous accidents. And because he believes in such an awesome God - because he believes that Jesus lives - he can face every new tomorrow that he is given, with grace and joy and power, because when the last day of his life on earth is gone, he will be with his Saviour, and he will be strong and mighty in a way he never could under the weight of gravity on this old earth.

It is sad that you have chosen to put your faith in gravity, because when life is over, gravity will fade away, and the only thing remaining will be the God you don't believe exists.