Guadalupe Peak: A Testament to Time and Ancient Seas

Guadalupe Peak, piercing the West Texas sky at 8,751 feet, proudly holds the title of the state's highest natural point. Located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, this majestic summit is more than just a geographical marker; it's a window into an ancient marine world. The mountain is part of the Guadalupe Mountains, which are the exposed remnants of the Capitan Reef, a massive limestone structure that flourished during the Permian period, roughly 270 million years ago.

This reef, primarily formed by sponges, algae, and other marine organisms along with calcium carbonate precipitated from the seawater, once fringed the Delaware Basin, a vast inland sea. Over millions of years, the skeletal remains of these organisms, along with other sediments, accumulated in an environment of clear, warm, shallow waters, building up a reef system hundreds of miles long. As the sea eventually evaporated, the reef was buried under thousands of feet of sediment. Subsequent geological uplift, associated with the Laramide orogeny and later Basin and Range faulting over the last 20-30 million years, hoisted this ancient reef complex far above sea level. Erosion then sculpted the landscape, exposing the resilient limestone core of the reef, with Guadalupe Peak standing as its most prominent feature. Today, hikers ascending the peak are, in essence, climbing an ancient, fossilized underwater ecosystem, a testament to immense geological timescales and dynamic earthly processes.

Why a Global Flood Cannot Sculpt Guadalupe Peak:

The intricate and massive structure of Guadalupe Peak, as an exposed ancient reef, defies explanation by a single, year-long global flood. Fossilized reefs like the Capitan Reef represent slow, successive growth of marine organisms over vast periods—potentially millions of years—in specific, stable marine environments. A catastrophic global flood would involve turbulent, sediment-choked waters entirely unsuitable for the delicate and prolonged growth of reef-building organisms like sponges and algae.

Furthermore, the preservation of distinct ecological zones within the reef (back-reef, reef crest, fore-reef) and the fine details of the fossils themselves point to in-place burial and lithification over immense timescales, not a chaotic, rapid deposition. The sheer scale of the limestone deposits, the processes of cementation, and the subsequent slow uplift and erosion are all features that require far more time than a single flood event could provide. A global flood would homogenize sediments and destroy such delicate, large-scale biological structures, not create and preserve them in their observed geological context.

Old-Earth Creationism: Accommodating Ancient Peaks:

Old-Earth Creationism (OEC) readily accommodates the existence of geological formations like Guadalupe Peak by accepting the scientific consensus on the Earth's great age, estimated at around 4.5 billion years. OEC interprets the creation accounts in Genesis, particularly the "days" of creation, as representing long periods of time rather than literal 24-hour days. This "day-age" view, or similar framework interpretations, allows for the vast geological timescales required for processes like reef formation, sedimentation, lithification, tectonic uplift, and erosion that shaped Guadalupe Peak. OEC sees God as the creator of the universe and life, working through both miraculous acts and natural processes over these extended epochs. Therefore, the ancient Capitan Reef, now visible as Guadalupe Peak, is viewed as part of God's prolonged creative work, consistent with both scripture and scientific observation.

Long Genesis "Days" and Geological History:

Old-Earth Creationism often posits that the "days" of Genesis 1 were not 24-hour periods but rather extended epochs or ages. This interpretation allows for the immense timescale evidenced by geology, such as the millions of years required for the Capitan Reef (which forms Guadalupe Peak) to grow, become fossilized, buried, and then uplifted and eroded. These long "days" accommodate the slow, progressive nature of many geological and biological processes.

• Old-Earth Creationism (OEC) interprets Genesis 1:9, "And God said, 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.' And it was so," as a divine decree that initiated significant geological processes over extended periods. Rather than a rapid, supernatural event within a 24-hour day, OEC sees this verse as describing God commanding the formation of continents and ocean basins through natural mechanisms He designed, such as plate tectonics, volcanism, and erosion, unfolding over millions of years.

This view aligns with OEC's acceptance of an ancient Earth and the understanding of Genesis "days" as long epochs. The appearance of "dry ground" is thus seen as a progressive, divinely superintended process culminating in the formation of landmasses, consistent with scientific evidence for Earth's geological history and the gradual shaping of its surface.

• Old Earth Creationism (OEC) interprets Job 9:5-6 as a description of God's immense power and sovereignty over natural forces, rather than a literal 24 hour depiction of specific, recent geological events. OEC acknowledges that mountains and geological features are formed through long, natural processes, but attributes the ultimate cause to God's design and ongoing control. "Removing mountains" and "shaking the earth" are seen as descriptions  of God's ability to orchestrate and influence the Earth's systems, including tectonic shifts and geological upheavals, over vast periods. This verse highlights God's role as the sustainer and director of the physical world, aligning with OEC's view of God working through established natural laws and deep time.

Old-Earth Creationism and God's Glory

For Old-Earth Creationists, the vastness of cosmic and geological time, and the intricate processes by which God created and shaped the Earth, serve to magnify His glory, power, and wisdom. An Earth meticulously formed over millions of years, with features like Guadalupe Peak revealing ancient ecosystems, showcases God's patient artistry and the grandeur of His creative methods. The immense timescale itself can be seen as a testament to God's eternal nature and magnificent, unfolding plan.