I have worked for several years as an engineer, making gadgets of various sorts. For years I’ve sat in front of my computer, studied diagrams, scribbled notes, attended meetings, and worked with a team of sometimes dozens of people, to produce something that will be useful to people. The end result is usually satisfying, and we know we have worked well to design something good. Someone looking at our work probably would not appreciate everything that we did to make it work. But they would know that humans created it.

Being an engineer, I also take particular interest in the natural world surrounding us, viewing it through engineering eyes. Everywhere I look, I see things with amazing design. But not designed by humans. The world of plants and animals is full of wonderful designs of great variety and complexity. And, as an engineer, I must admit that these plants and animals are more complex than anything I’ve ever designed myself. Not just a little bit more complex, but hundreds of times more complex.

It’s enough to convince me. I am in awe of a great being who is a brilliant engineer (among other things).