Black Holes, Holons, and Holy Mystery
by Carol Zinn, SSJ -- LCWR Executive Director
Holy Mystery. Sacred Presence. All-Embracing, Creator God.
Gracious Sprit. Womb of all Life. Ever-Gracing, Most Wondrous God.
In this moment, in our being, we are One.
We are One. -- Monica Brown, "Holy Mystery"
When I saw the first pictures of a “black hole” and sensed the awe in realizing that Albert Einstein predicted the existence of black holes decades ago, these words of the hymn by Monica Brown came to mind. One of the most fascinating realizations is that black holes are not empty. Rather, there is a tremendous amount of matter packed into a very small area and its gravitational pull is so great that nothing, not even light, can escape. When massive stars die, they leave behind a small, dense, remnant core and it’s possible, given certain conditions, that the force of gravity overwhelms all other forces and produces a black hole. (To continue reading, download the PDF document below)
