"Before The World Began: The Point of the Encounter of Love and Science" by Odete Martins Bigote is a look at the beginning of life as we know it. Bigote has spent much time researching this topic. Her conclusion goes somewhat like this. We existed in a different form, such as that of a spiritual being before God created the heavens and the earth. Bigote discusses the conflict many see between science and religion. After much contemplation she comes to the conclusion that there is in fact no conflict: science and religion fit together. While some may consider the idea of parallel universes outlandish, I see things a bit different. If we deny the impossibility, are we not denying the greatness of God? Should our limited imagination or ability to dream be attempting to bring God to our tiny level? One of the statements that surprised me was the comparison between gold fish in a curved bowl and humans. “The goldfish was saved by an invisible hand; while we know that there is an invisible hand ready to rescue us, but we refuse to move.” Her description of why we fear God is very interesting. We have a memory of the great energy it took to turn chaos into an ordered world. She also reminds us that the very energy we fear is embedded deep within us.

Bigote has included quotes from various sources as well as the scripture. She has included a space for thoughts, comments and questions. This book is well-organized. I am not sure if I have ever read a book on this topic handled in quite this manner. I think I would enjoy listening to Ms Bigote explaining her theory in person. Her message is very deep and will not appeal to all readers. I hope one who reads this book will take time to ponder the lessons in this book. I found them fascinating and well-worth reading.

Before The World Began: The point of the encounter of love and science by Odete Martins Bigote is an inspiring, life-affirming book. This makes for very welcome reading since, as the author says, ‘fear is everywhere these days’. There are plenty of negative, fear-inducing books out there. But we need to lose that fear and instead be willing to love and to appreciate being loved. There are more than forty discussions in this book, which make heavy use of quotations from many different texts, predominately the Bible but also including scientific texts and other literature, ancient and modern. The author uses these to explain her optimistic and faith-based interpretation of the modern world that we live in. She challenges us with questions to make us think for ourselves about issues such as predestination, preconceived ideas, creation and destruction, philosophy, healing and sickness for ourselves and not just trot out what we’ve learnt from scientists or the media.

Life is a dance which we must appreciate and enjoy. Odete Bigote succeeds in bringing out the sheer joy and love in our existence with her reasoned and well supported arguments. At times she is perhaps a little too hard on the scientists in my opinion, but by no means simply dismissive of them. This is an academic and thoughtful work and reflects a brave, unique point of view. We too have to think hard as we read this book and challenge our own preconceptions, and the sun is definitely shining a little brighter when we reach the end. The positive attitude is infectious and invigorating.

Many of us have an odd view of God, we see him as a punisher rather than our creator that loves us very much. There is a loving being just waiting for us to reach out to Him and yet we don’t. In times of trouble we remember Him and reach out to Him in our anguish but when things are going well we dismiss, ignore and refuse to accept Him. Odete Martins Bigote successfully combines science and Christianity, as they were created to work together. They are not in competition or conflict. It is the closed and corrupt minds of man that produce the conflict.

Before the World Begins by Odete Martins Bigote has several important points:

1. “There was already some form of existence, in the form of energy before the world began and before we were created.”

I have always believed that God was not alone, the Son and Spirit existed along with Him, in the Trinity. Through scriptures we also know that angels existed otherwise the rebelling ones could not have fallen from heaven.

2. “We are not supposed to know the details of how the event (meaning the rebellion) started.”
There are somethings we need to take on faith. While scientist and theologians can come up with theories they can only hypothesize.

3. “We were programmed a priori and were given the freedom to choose.” Repeatedly the author discusses our free will, our ability to choose. This is a very important part of this book.

4. “In Him also we obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” Ephesians 1:11.

"However, we have free will to choose which path to follow among the paths that we have already chosen."

It is clear from reading Ms. Bigote's book that God has a plan for our lives but some of us are too stubborn and independent to listen to Him.

There are many more important points in this book but if I gave them all to you there would be no need to read the book. In critical places Bigote has placed questions to ponder and a few lines to record your answers. The reader will need to take time pondering the text. While it is written in layman terms the text is profound and something you need to think about. This book is intended to explain the ties that bind physics, science and religion. Ms. Bigote is a talented author and lays out her case in a well-organized manner. Well done Ms. Bigote.