There are two basic aspects to consider in the beginnings of all things. The first is physical and the second is metaphysical. By definition, the physical is observable, measurable, governed by natural laws, and subject to empirical study. The metaphysical is abstract, conceptual, concerned with the essence of existence, and often beyond empirical verification. Both realms are interdependent; the physical provides structure, while the metaphysical offers meaning and deeper understanding.
Science is constrained by the physical. For instance, while science can explain how neurons fire in the brain, it does not explain the metaphysical experience of consciousness. Through the science of astrophysics and advanced mathematics, along with a leap of faith, the beginning of observable reality was a sudden expansion of a tiny microdot of matter that exploded with a big bang. While this is supported as physical science, it would be better classified as metaphysical as there are no empirical data to support this conclusion. This is a belief. It is not science. It is embraced only having passed the test of an educated guess.
It is noteworthy that the reverse calculation in mathematics arriving at the big bang involved a precision in mathematical theory that is inherent in the properties of the observable universe. This precision can only be described as metaphysical as it is a property of the structure and not physical in its nature. This creates a problem for the chaos of a big bang.
Another interesting phenomenon is distance. While the universe is infinite, the relative scope of our universe is only as far as the eye can see. Given the constant speed of light, along with extreme magnification, it is estimated that the universe is over twelve billion years old. If this model is observed with metaphysics, it is just as likely that the physical structure of the universe is not one of distance but of size. In other words, the structure we see is actually the atomic structure of a reality that is a quantum leap above our perception. We are measuring the distance between atoms within a dimension that is infinitesimally smaller than the firmament it constitutes. How much greater is that in the grand scheme of things? As the song was written, “If I’ve got worlds on my watchchain and the stars neath my shoes, I ain’t got nothing without you.”
The point here is that while science requires proof, there is a leap of faith that is required to grasp the sheer magnitude of the size and scope of reality. We are insignificant clay pots that have the ability to contemplate the heavens. Is in not more believable that we are created in the image of God? Once again, I ask the question, how big is God?