Appreciating the Stunning Beauty of Creation

Tourists ride "The Maid of the Mist" to see
Niagara Falls as closely as possible.

With all the ugliness and evil we see in the world, sometimes it’s easy to forget how much beauty surrounds us. Caught up in negativity, we fail to “stop and smell the roses,” as the time-honored admonition tells us to do. When was the last time you made a point of admiring and enjoying beauty in any of its many forms? 

Art – whether it’s considered beautiful or not – is largely determined by who’s looking at it. We can stare at a painting, no matter if it’s been created with oil paint, watercolors or some other medium, and some of us will marvel at the artist’s skill and creativity; others will shrug or even sneer, wondering what the artist could have been thinking. 

 

We can have similar reactions to sculptures. Most folks will agree that two of Michelangelo’s best known creations, “David” and “Pieta,” are true works of art. However, when we see sculptures consisting of twisted metal or seemingly random plastic, many of us aren’t so convinced. Beauty truly is in the eyes of the beholder.

 

The same applies to music, literature, theatrical films, and many other art forms. I’ve heard many pieces of music, both vocal and instrumental, that thrilled me to my core while others, highly regarded by other people, elicit a mere “Meh” from me. One person’s wonderful melody is another’s cacophony.

 

If we were to ask each other what books and films made the strongest impressions on us, we’d probably offer widely differing opinions. But that’s one of the great things about life. We’re all unique, not only in physical appearance and abilities, but also in our interests and preferences.

 

Many natural wonders, however, tend to evoke more commonly shared responses. I’ve visited the Grand Canyon twice, and both times found myself slack-jawed and speechless. I doubt there’s anyone who has seen it in person that wasn’t awestruck to some degree. I never tire of observing glorious sunrises and sunsets, especially while at the beach. My cameras might tire of taking photos of those sights, but I don’t.

 

Recently, my wife and I joined a bus tour to Niagara Falls, another impressive natural wonder. Being told about more than 3,000 tons of water crashing over the Falls every second is nothing compared to seeing it happening firsthand. Put in other terms, this is 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls, and 681,750 gallons over the Horseshoe Falls. (No, the thought of taking the plunge in a barrel never crossed my mind.)

 

The best thing about appreciating the wonders of nature, whether it’s a perfectly formed flower or the splendor of countless stars viewed from a site far from the glare of city lights, is knowing who created them. Psalm 8:1-3 declares, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens…Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place.”

 

Many scientists would respond that all we see on the earth, under the earth and far above the earth isn’t the work of God, but the results of time and random chance. Increasingly, however, although not widely reported, credible and credentialed scientists are challenging the assumptions that support the denial of intelligent design or creation, while also casting doubt on similar presuppositions used to justify much evolutionary thinking. This is why passages like those in Psalm 8, along with the Creation account in the opening chapters of Genesis, are all the more astounding.

 

For instance, one wouldn’t look at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Great Wall of China, or the Great Pyramids of Egypt and conclude, “What a marvel of time and random chance!” We know without questioning that they all were conceived, designed and built by creative, industrious minds. How much more the unfathomable wonders of nature that were fine-tuned so exquisitely by our Creator God?

 

There is one other example from creation I haven’t mentioned that’s even more wondrous: Human beings. After writing, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,” the psalmist continued with awe, “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet” (Psalm 8:3-6). Which prompts the writer in verse 9 to repeat, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

 

When we decide to slow down long enough to appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us, not to mention the incredible complexity with which each one of us is made and can exist, I wonder how a fair-minded person cannot be stirred and moved to affirm, “O Lord…how majestic is Your name in all the earth”?