Clues

Calling the Evidence: Design, Order, and the Quest for Truth

We live in an intricately designed world where nothing exists in isolation—from the mathematics of plant life to the moral compass inside every human heart. But is all of this just a cosmic coincidence, or are we passing over vital clues left by a Master Designer? Read on as we step into the courtroom of faith and reason, put the evidence on trial, and unpack the single, extraordinary answer that brings meaning to the entire human story.

Most people like a good detective thriller either on TV or in a book. Who is your favourite author – Richard Osman, Steve Cavanagh, Agatha Christie? Which TV series has you on the edge of your seat – Patience, Silent Witness, Shetland? We do like to solve a mystery, to feel part of the story as we look for clues and build up theories as to ‘whodunnit’!

Solving Puzzles

It’s undeniably in us! Wordle, Sudoku, Connections, Blossom, traditional crosswords and jigsaws – the lot … we love ‘em. We search for patterns, we rack our brains for answers and remain dissatisfied with only partial solutions.

‘The solution often turns out more beautiful than the puzzle’ – Richard Dawkins
‘Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle’ – Lewis Carroll

The Great Puzzle

‘There are only three great puzzles in the world, the puzzle of love, the puzzle of death, and, between each of these and part of both of them, the puzzle of God. God is the greatest puzzle of all’ – Niall Williams

Is this a puzzle that you have given your mind to?

**Call The Evidence! (*see appendix for more scientific rigour)**

You have 6 senses – we use five of these every day: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. We need all of them to sift the evidence but we are often not very mindful and we pass over the multiple clues for us to pick up. The sixth sense is the most often neglected, spiritual.

Design

Birds, bees and flowers all have one thing in common – DNA! In fact, scientists agree that all living organisms across the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya) use DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to store and transmit genetic information. Not only that, but it is all interrelated and multifaceted. Beauty is there in the flower petals and the entire mathematics of coding. Poetry is there in the desire for procreation and multiplication across species. The eleven systems required to function in a human body are breath-taking. All of these point to design and purpose, to a designer and purpose-giver.

Order

Within our known universe, what do we know? We know there are integrated eco-systems and food chains. Flowers get pollenated by the bees, fruit comes, we eat it and take nourishment to keep our internal systems running along. We adapt to and enjoy different seasons. Looking up at the sky, we marvel at eclipses, the moon, the stars and ponder how it all works. The lustrous moon provides us with gravity so we don’t float away. The lunar cycle gives us tides and 28-day periods for fertility as night follows day. Chemists tell us about the properties of different materials but we can see for ourselves intuitively the miracle of water – gas, solid, liquid. Meteorologists explain the weather, scientists discover formulae of matter. There is no accident in what is all around us.

Good and Bad

Instinctively, we recognise good things such as kindness and bad behaviours that hurt others. But we cannot explain why there is even such a thing as morality, however you may define it.

Time To Call The Witnesses!

These first three points cannot simply be dismissed – they are vital clues to ‘whodunnit’. Those who takes the position of Atheism must be able to give satisfactory alternative answers to there being a ‘higher being’, God. Even if people trot out theories of ‘natural selection’ and ‘evolution’ (theories which themselves have been subject to much change), those theories do not solve the great big puzzle. So to the witnesses.

God Himself – He has chosen to reveal Himself to us through the Bible which continues to be the best-selling book ever. Written by more than 30 people over 1500 years, this unique gift explains everything from beginning to end. Described by God Himself as “God-breathed/inspired” (2 Timothy 3:16), the Old and New Testaments explain design, order and morality.
Pontius Pilate – He asked Jesus “What?” What is truth (John 18:38)? Jesus told him: “In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me”. A few chapters earlier in John 14:6, He’d given this evidence: “I am the way and the truth and the life”. Pilate went on to describe Jesus as ‘The King of the Jews’.
The Magi – They asked Where? “Where is He Who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). When these men found the one they were looking for, they worshipped.
John’s The Baptist’s Disciples – They asked “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). Jesus confirmed that He was the one sent from God and they returned to John reassured. Their question came from good hearts but those wanting to kill Jesus asked the same question so they could accuse Him of blasphemy and hand Him over for crucifixion (Luke 22:70-71).

There are many more pieces of evidence in the New Testament about Jesus. Some people have printed the most succinct statement answering the ‘Who?’ and the ‘Why?’ questions on a T-shirt. Have you ever seen it? ‘J316’? Have you worked it out?

The Missing Piece In Your Jigsaw

Some people like to tease by hiding the last piece of a jigsaw and then reveal it. The missing piece is the final clue – Jesus Christ!

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16)
‘The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word’ (Hebrews 1:3)

There it is, clearly, the ‘Who’ and the ‘Why’ – Jesus came to save you and to make sense of your life. Not just a great teacher of morality but The Son of God Who took on death and was raised to life. He promises to do this for you too if you will trust Him as the answer for your life. Unlike some puzzles where there are multiple answers, there is only one answer to this puzzle

He Is Not Far From Anyone Of Us

‘God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being’ – Acts 17:27-28

Spoilt Design And Disorder

When we spoil God’s design and bring disorder, it is bad news for everyone and every environment.If you’re still trying to work it out, take a look again at the night sky. This universal mystery for all to solve can be revealed by looking up. See two remarkable videos by Louie Giglio when you have time to watch:

Indescribable –

How Great Is Our God by Louie Giglio –

For further reading: Riddles – Connect4Life

*APPENDIX – For those who want to dig deeper into the scientific evidence

Everything in the environment is interconnected – The environment is not a collection of isolated parts. It is a network of relationships—living things, non‑living things, energy flows, and physical processes all interacting continuously. These interactions form ecosystems, the basic units of ecological life.

1. What an Ecosystem Is

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, microbes) interacting with each other and with their physical environment (soil, water, air, climate).

Every ecosystem contains:

Biotic factors — living things
Abiotic factors — non‑living things (temperature, sunlight, minerals, water)
Energy flows — usually beginning with the sun
Nutrient cycles — carbon, nitrogen, water, oxygen

These components form a dynamic system that stays in balance—until something disrupts it.

2. Interrelationships Within Ecosystems

Interrelationships describe how organisms depend on one another. These fall into several categories:

A. Feeding Relationships (Trophic Interactions)

Producers — plants, algae
Consumers — herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
Decomposers — fungi, bacteria

Energy flows from producers → consumers → decomposers.

B. Symbiotic Relationships

Mutualism — both benefit (bees & flowers)
Commensalism — one benefits, the other unaffected (barnacles on whales)
Parasitism — one benefits at the other’s expense (tapeworms, mistletoe)

C. Competition

Organisms compete for food, space, mates, sunlight.

D. Predation

Predators regulate prey populations, preventing overgrazing or imbalance.

E. Keystone Species

Some species have a disproportionately large impact (wolves in Yellowstone, bees in pollination).

3. Abiotic Interrelationships

Non‑living factors shape ecosystems:

Climate determines what can survive
Water availability shapes plant and animal life
Soil nutrients influence vegetation
Sunlight drives photosynthesis
Temperature affects metabolic rates

Abiotic changes (drought, temperature rise, pollution) ripple through the entire system.

4. Cycles That Keep Ecosystems Alive

Ecosystems rely on repeating cycles:

Water cycle — evaporation, condensation, precipitation
Carbon cycle — respiration, photosynthesis, decomposition
Nitrogen cycle — bacteria converting nitrogen for plant use
Oxygen cycle — plants and animals exchanging gases

These cycles ensure resources are continually renewed.

5. Human Influence on Interrelationships

Humans affect ecosystems through:

Habitat destruction
Pollution
Climate change
Overfishing
Introduction of invasive species

These disruptions can collapse interrelationships, leading to species decline or ecosystem failure.

6. A Pastoral Reflection

Ecosystems mirror spiritual truth: life flourishes through connection.

Just as:

plants need sunlight,
animals need food,
soil needs nutrients,
and rivers need flow,

people need relationship, community, and the sustaining presence of God.

Creation itself is a testimony that interdependence is woven into the fabric of life.

Summary

Ecosystems are built on:

Living and non‑living components
Energy flows
Nutrient cycles
Interdependent relationships
Dynamic balance

Understanding these interrelationships helps us care for creation wisely—and appreciate the intricate design of the world we inhabit.