I always try to find interesting ways of helping people know that God is real but sometimes these fancy arguments just pale in comparison to the awe we experience when confronted by the world that He has created. We can construct clever proofs for God’s existence but sometimes it’s just better to let the stones cry out.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
A walk on the beach, a stroll through a forest, or a quiet moment in a beautiful garden may feel like a soothing nature bath but in reality they are baptisms in a flood of God’s eternal power and divine nature. God spoke creation into existence so maybe we should just let His words speak for themselves.
The imperative of awe is its certificate of evidence, a universal certificate, which we all witness and seal with tremor and spasm, not because we desire to, but because we are stunned and cannot brave it. There is so much more meaning in reality than my soul can take in! (Abraham Joshua Heschel)
God’s created world is often referred to as the Book of Nature, and while this book is often read as a science textbook, we need to remember that it also serves as a stunning picture book for those of us of a simpler persuasion. We may not know much about biology, chemistry, or physics but we do know that the creational picture He painted into existence long ago is worth a thousand words.
My wife and I recently visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California. We were awestruck by God’s creativity. Beyond the biological elegance of these sea creatures, we couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty, design, and even humor that must have gone into their creation. It reminded me of the song, God is Real, by India Arie.
Heard a man on the radio today:
I mean I’m not going to believe in anything that I can’t see and I’ve
been through a lot of hardships in my life ya know ya know in my life
Must confess I disagreed with what he had to say
How he could he not believe that God is real
I don’t understand how
He could feel that way
India then made a case for the existence of God based on an aquatic encounter she had on the island of St. Lucia.
In St. Lucia I jumped in the water
It was like I was seeing it for the first time. It literally changed my life
For the first time I understood its power
As I swam I was cleansed
If I had any doubts
This experience cleared them
Now I know for sure that God is real
I know that it’s the truth
By the way it feels
Cause I saw starfish and sponges
Fish shaped like trumpets
So many different colors
I stayed out there for hours and I only saw a fraction of a fraction of the
Deepest of the deep of the great blue wide
It brought a tear to my eye
That’s how I know that God is real
All of this is not by chance
Interestingly, as we walked through the displays at the aquarium we came across this sign for the Chambered Nautilus.
The reason that this shell fascinates scientists, philosophers, and artists is because it was designed, contemplated, and loved by God.
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:7-10)
Apologetics books come and go but the Book of Nature is a perennial best-seller. Always keep your eyes on the page because an encounter with the life aquatic may just turn out to be an encounter with the life Divine.
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