On the National Day of Prayer and the National Day of Reason, Chapter 13 of the Old Testament Book of Wisdom offers a meditation into their relation and mutual boundary. Believed to have been written sometime in the last century before Christ, the problem and mystery described hasn’t changed, and probably never will, for as long as the circuit of the stars and the mighty water continue to exist…

Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;

Instead either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors* of the world, they considered gods.

Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.

Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them realize from these things how much more powerful is the one who made them.

For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.

But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.

For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.

But again, not even these are pardonable.

For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

*(A footnote here reads “Governors: the sun and moon”)