Cardinal. Image Courtesy of Chuck Summers.
The Apostle Paul connected the evidence of God with the witness of nature in the first chapter of the book of Romans when he wrote,
“What may be known about God is plain to [humankind], because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Paul was elaborating on a truth that ran through all of Jesus’ teachings. When Jesus needed to illustrate some spiritual principle he spoke of the birds of the air, the rain which falls on sinners and the righteous alike, the flowers of the field, the seed on the path, the wheat and the tares. Why would Jesus and Paul speak this way unless there was something to be understood about the Lord by looking at what he has created?
Chuck Summers aptly named his website “Seeing Creation” and he has filled it with photography and reflections on the beauty of God in nature. In one such reflection, he picks up the theme of the connection between the admiration of creation and the admiration of God. Summers writes,
“Knowing that the world we live in was made by God we should have a very high opinion of it. We should hold it in esteem and treat it with great respect. If we don’t we won’t take the time to experience God in what He has made nor will we do what we’re supposed to when it comes to being good stewards of Creation. …When we admire and take delight in Creation we are showing our admiration and delight in the Creator.” Read the rest of “Admiration… So Necessary.”
If God has anything at all to do with how the universe got so wonderful, then we should admire it. And we should not be surprised if, somewhere in the shuffle, we hear God speaking to us of his “invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature.”
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