Fossils and Faith

If you Googled anything today, you may have noticed the unique doodle on their site.  This is to honor Nicholas Steno's birthday.  Nicholas (1638 - 1686) was a Danish Lutheran who converted to Catholicism.  He was a scientist and clergy - someone whose biography dashes the silly notion that theology and science can never mix.  Bishop Steno was a living testimony that one's faith can lead to a faithful study of God's creation. 

O.K. - I'm not posting this to preach today.  For more information, here is a helpful article by the Washington Post.  Note that his pioneering research into geology was greatly benefited by his examination of shark's teeth and comparing them to curious rock formations that we would later recognize as fossils!  Note also that the good Bishop is beautified and awaiting canonization as a saint.   Lutherans do not believe in praying to saints, but if we did, I'd be tempted to invoke Bishop Steno to help us find more of these babies along the shore of the Chesapeake (my fingers are pinching the fossilized tooth of a Carcharodon Megalodon - a gigantic prehistoric shark who roamed the nearby ocean).