A Lesson From Creation
It was a beautiful Saturday morning. Bright, clear skies with lots of sunshine. Quite warm in the sunlight, but with a persistent cool breeze blowing. It was a perfect morning for almost everything - everything but photography. The bright sunlight was way too contrasty for the waterfall I was trying to photograph, and the breeze was swaying all the wildflowers too much for a sharp capture. But as Thoreau once said, "The question is not what you look at, but what you see." Remembering that advice, I began to search for smaller details in more shelterd areas of open shade where the breeze was less, and the light more even. This tiny cascade might go unnoticed by many in the shadow of the great falls above it, but if we will just look, we will see it has it's own beauty. A lot of things in life are like that.
posted by John Roberts @ 6:57 AM
1 Comments:
At Thursday, 01 June, 2006,
John Roberts said…
Not long after posting this article, I received an anonymous email questioning my use of the word Creation in the title. The anonymous emailer said “I suggest that ‘A Lesson From Nature’ would have been a better title. ‘Nature’ more aptly describes the scientific evidence for what we see when outdoors. ‘Creation’ is a word reflecting faith, not fact.”
Each of us is entitled to believe what we want to believe, I guess. However, as one who has spent innumerable hours outdoors, hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, and photographing, I see evidence of creation. As one who has a degree in forestry, I believe the evidence of science points to intelligent design. As one who has observed the habits and activities of animals in the wild, I see evidence of a thoughtful plan. As one who has observed through a camera lens the intricacies of function in myriads of plant life, I see evidence of design and purpose. In over 40 years of enjoying the great outdoors, I see the overwhelming evidence as pointing to a Creator, not mere chance.
The anonymous writer is obviously more a person of faith than I am. To believe that what I observe when I am outdoors all occurred due to a unique, but random combination of time, inert chemicals, chance, and perhaps a lightning strike, requires more faith than I am able to muster.
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