One of the first things I discover when I study theology is that there is a God who exists outside of time and space, who exists outside our cosmos, who personally created our universe. The story of creation tells me that engineering is not just a job, but a privilege bestowed on me by the Creator. It is my privilege as an engineer to discover, explore and utilize the systems and principles of engineering which God created to make train operations safer for all of God’s creation.
I work as a consultant for the railroads on the design and implementation of safety control systems. I am returning to school to pursue a doctoral degree in workplace theology, ethics and leadership. When one of my colleagues heard I was going to pursue a doctoral degree in theology he asked me why does an engineer care about theology?
The short answer is that theology provides a cosmic perspective on my work, the boundaries and constraints on my life, and why work doesn’t always go the way I wish it would go.
Understanding theology inspires me as an engineer to pursue my work with passion, excellence and joy.
A perspective from the story of Creation
One of the first things I discover when I study theology is that there is a God who exists outside of time and space, who exists outside our cosmos, who personally created our universe.
The story of creation tells me that engineering is not just a job, but a privilege bestowed on me by the Creator. It is my privilege as an engineer to discover, explore and utilize the systems and principles of engineering which God created to make train operations safer for all of God’s creation.
Theology teaches me that God’s desire is to come alongside me to help me to discover what I need to know about His creation so that I can do my job with excellence.
The story of creation tells me that I am created in God’s image. My desire to manipulate and create new things from the resources God created; my desire to bring order out of chaos using the principles of engineering that God defined; my desire to communicate engineering concepts clearly and simply are all reflections of the image of God.
The story of creation sets me free to enjoy what I am doing without worrying about what other people think or say, for the story of creation tells me I live my life to please my Creator.
