Rows of pear, apple, and cherry trees in white and pink blossoms under a cloudless blue sky, the orchard was in full bloom. Bees buzzed from one flower to the next gathering nectar. Sun rays reflected from a nearby pond surface and ducks basked in the warmth of the spring morning. A tabby cat explored the grassy meadow, looking for mice. Poplar trees, dressed in fresh green foliage, swayed gently in the breeze. Recent swallow arrivals returned to their old nests or were busily building new ones, and a blackbird sang heartily. The stork had returned to her old nest on the chimney top and surveyed the breathtaking scene.
Chance or Design?
At some point in the distant past, the universe, including planet Earth and all that is on it, came into being. No one knows exactly when and how, but humans marvel at its complexity, diversity, order, and beauty. Ponder, for example, the adaptation of organisms to existing conditions, the complex functions taking place with infinite precision, and the delicate balance in nature (only relatively recently disrupted by human activities).
Considering the intricacy of just one cell is astounding. When one takes into account that millions of cells form the numerous organs performing hundreds if not thousands of functions in a living creature, it becomes mind-boggling. Multiply this further by the number of species comprising land, sea, and air creatures (including all insects and microorganisms). Add to this the interdependence of all living things and the factors affecting environment and climate, as well as the enormously vast and complex universe beyond our planet (in comparison to which the Earth is like a speck of dust).
Indeed, the natural world is awe-inspiring. Even in today’s scientific and technological world, much about the mystery of life is not understood. While not an absolute proof in themselves, the above-mentioned phenomena in their incredible intricacy and complexity provide evidence to support the biblical account (and accounts of other religious traditions) of a Being or Mind of supreme intelligence and wisdom who is behind all that exists. When all is taken into consideration, the probability of everything evolving by mere coincidence or blind chance, without design or forethought, becomes infinitesimal. Some have stated that in reality more faith is needed to believe in blind evolution than in the existence of a Creator.[1]
Laws of Conservation
Everything visible operates according to principles of law, order, and conservation, and is therefore predictable. (At the sub-atomic level, processes become more complicated and are far from fully understood.) Species beget offspring in their own likeness, and seeds germinate into the plants or trees they came from. Life cycles continue predictably from birth, via maturing and reproduction, to death. Energy and matter are conserved through natural cycles – for example, water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. Living organisms absorb elements from the air or soil, use them as building blocks or for fuel, and excrete them again, thus returning them into the environment. Cells change continually, aging and being renewed. Everything is interconnected. A delicate balance and harmony are essential for the proper functioning of all aspects of life. Whenever the order and balance are disrupted, most often because of human destructive activities frequently motivated by selfishness and greed, problems result. These may manifest themselves, for example, in upset weather, natural disasters, physical disease, mental illness, relational problems, and premature death.
Clocks and Internal Programs
The universe is like an intricate time machine with myriads of clocks regulating innumerable activities. The Earth, for example, turns around its axis every 24 hours and around the sun every 365¼ days. The sun and moon rise and set according to preset timers. Seasons come and go with their associated weather patterns. Tides go in and out with regularity.
The animate world also abounds with evidence of inbuilt clocks. For example, swallows migrate thousands of kilometres before winter. They leave their European nesting grounds at the same time every year, fly to the same destination in Africa, and return again in the spring to where they came from. Salmon also have astounding migratory habits built into their life cycle. They hatch and spend their early life stages in fresh water. In their second year, they swim down the river to the ocean where they grow to adult size. Toward the end of their life, between ages four and seven, the fish make a journey of several thousand kilometres across the ocean, back to the river estuary where their life began.
Flowers start blossoming at more or less the same time each year. Likewise, fruit ripens and leaves fall according to an inner timing. Young animals and human babies leave the womb after predictable periods of time that are the same for all the members of a species. Birds know how long to sit on their eggs and what to do when the eggs hatch. They understand how and when to teach their young to fly and to prepare them for life – be it in a local area or including long migratory journeys.
Within the bodies of humans and other creatures, all organs work together without the control or even awareness of their “owners”. In “social” species, such as ants, bees, wolves, and geese, there is order and cooperation, each group member knowing its role and tasks for the benefit and preservation of the others. All functions are predictable, occur in a timely way, and follow internal programming or instinct.
Harmony and Beauty
Like in a beautiful symphony, there is harmony throughout the natural world. Interdependence and cooperation occur everywhere. The countless different life forms and natural cycles are intertwined and balanced (barring unwise human intervention). Although struggle and death also take place, they serve to maintain equilibrium and keep the natural cycles going.
Not only is everything in the natural world balanced and functional, but beauty also surrounds us. Consider the harmony of the colours. The world is not just black and white with shades of grey, but is filled with bright as well as muted, well-coordinated colours in marvellous variety. With its basic colours of blue and green, the natural environment has a calming, rejuvenating, and balancing effect on the mind, heart, and body. Splashes of red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and brown add interest as well as promoting feelings of cheer, serenity, inspiration, and vitality, among others.
The natural beauty, aesthetically pleasing to the senses, brings happiness, enjoyment, and even amusement. One admires the delicate shape of a violet, orchid, or cherry blossom; the yellow carpet of a dandelion-covered meadow; and even the purple flower of the prickly thistle visited by a furry bumblebee. Who can help but smile at young kittens, cubs, or puppies frolicking at play; or, hungry chicks with their beaks wide open for mother to drop something in? Before each of us lies a seemingly endless variety of delightful living and non-living things for our eyes to take pleasure in. If only we can pause and stop to admire and smell the lilacs, to explore the forest path, to climb the mountain, and to listen to the waves on the seashore.
Display of Divine Character
As a piece of art communicates about the artist, the natural world attests to the qualities and character of the Creator. One can discern love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and patience as well as humility, wisdom, generosity, and imagination throughout the physical world.[2]
Divine love appears in the abundance of good things surrounding us, such as warm spring sunshine, a cool fresh breeze, sweet juicy strawberries, and tender parental care. The creation reflects wonderful benevolence. Barring humankind’s destructive deeds, nature functions harmoniously. Furthermore, the Creator’s care and provision are unconditionally available to all creatures. While effort and struggle may be required for survival, all organisms are well equipped for life in whatever circumstances they find themselves.[3]
Nature displays joy and even humour – birds chirping, lambs frolicking and exploring their world, human mothers excited about the first smile of their baby. Who can help but be amused by kittens hitting each other with their paws as they enforce their “social order”, or a puppy barking at a bug? Or, who does not enjoy watching toddlers at their first attempts to pull themselves up on the coffee table, discovering what it feels like standing on their feet? Lightheartedness and playfulness abound among living creatures.
Away from the hustle and bustle of human rushing, peace and tranquillity come to the fore. Walking in a forest, for instance, one feels refreshed by the soothing greenery, cool shade, and soft scents. Generally, animals are quiet or make non-disturbing noises. Most birds sing pleasantly, insect buzzing is usually not irritating, and neither is the croaking of frogs. Dogs, cows, and other animals only make ongoing bothersome noises when worried, upset or unhappy.
Overall, nature’s design has inbuilt gentleness. Under normal conditions, climate remains balanced and pleasant, with hurricanes, tornadoes, and violent storms being more the exception than the rule. Destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are only occasional occurrences. Most animals are non-aggressive to humans and attack only if threatened or if human activity encroaches on their habitat. Predators are in a minority, and even then, they usually only kill to survive. In addition, they are a vital part of ecosystems and if absent, the other animals tend to overpopulate and become destructive to the environment. In the past century or two, however, the balance in nature has become seriously disrupted by imprudent human activities, and violent natural phenomena are on the rise.
Patience can also be seen in nature’s design. In the animal kingdom, creatures patiently wait for their young to hatch and grow up, sometimes under adverse conditions, for which they are equipped. Male emperor penguins, for example, endure weeks of frost and blizzard without eating, huddled together, each with an egg on his feet, waiting for the young to hatch, the spring to arrive, and their female partners to return from feeding in the sea.
Even though God is supreme, sovereign, and omnipotent, his awe-inspiring handiwork demonstrates humility – its inherent power is not flaunted before humanity. Mighty displays of power in nature through such occurrences as deafening thunder, blinding lightning, or terrifying tsunamis are relatively rare. Instead, a quiet demonstration of wisdom, glory, and generosity occurs in sunrises and sunsets, starry and moonlit nights, and the myriads of living organisms of direct benefit to humans.[4]
The imagination of the Creator is seen in the astounding variety of designs, sizes, and colour combinations. How many shapes of leaves, types of flowers, kinds of seed “containers”, and ways of seed dispersal are there? How many different beaks, flying habits, and nest types come to mind? What about the various sounds that animals produce to communicate with each other, many inaudible to the human ear? Sizes in the animal world range from the 30 meter long and over 100 tons in weight blue whale, to microscopic organisms visible only under electron microscope. The plant kingdom at its large end features the 100 meters tall giant sequoias with a base diameter of 10 meters. These trees and the whales make humans look miniature in comparison. All this is, however, dwarfed, by incredible heavenly phenomena such as the billions of galaxies of which the Milky Way is only a tiny part.
In infinite and unfathomable wisdom, God has created an ordered universe and allowed humans, made in his image and given freedom of choice, a limited control over it. The Creator has given people a desire to know how the universe works, as well as to understand their lives in relation to it, to each other, and to the Divine. At the same time, ultimate understanding that surpasses human reason is unavailable to humans except through special revelation, but even then a great deal for now remains awe-inspiring mystery.[5]
Disruption and Restoration
Humans are the only creatures on the earth who have been endowed with free moral agency. Created in divine image and given stewardship (not ownership and licence to exploit) over the rest of the natural world, they are in a special position. Their nature, however, has been marred by what is referred to in Christian circles as the Fall – the choice made by the first people in primeval history to go contrary to their Maker. Estranged from God, human nature is not subject to divine teaching and is a paradoxical mixture of good and evil. While men and women can create inspiring art, compose near-celestial music, as well as perform sacrificial deeds, a dark side also lurks, described in the Bible as the “acts of the sinful nature” or “works of the flesh”. Others use the term “ego”. This accounts for traits such as selfishness, unfaithfulness, intemperance, intolerance, strife, envy, jealousy, greed, anger, hatred, rebellion, and murder.[6]
The global balance and harmony have been disrupted by human disregard for what has been divinely ordained. As a result, pain and suffering have entered – sickness and disease on the individual level; war, poverty, and famine on the national level; and destructive natural disasters on the global level. Physical and spiritual laws governing life, when ignored or neglected, bring about adverse consequences. While forbearance, mercy and patience operate in the universe, justice and judgment in the laws of cause and effect are also present.[7]
Although cause and effect as well as order and predictability exist, in the human life this doesn’t always appear to work. Sometimes unexpected and unexplainable suffering comes to those who have done all in their power to follow a right way of life. Conversely, a person who does evil is seemingly getting away with it or even appears to prosper. The biblical story of Job portrays a just man unjustly afflicted, thus overturning the notion that humans can control their destiny by their behaviour. At the end of the story, God reveals himself as the Creator who does great, mysterious, and incomprehensible things for divine reasons. The book of Ecclesiastes shows the futility of trying to fully understand life, but advises trusting and remaining faithful to God regardless.[8] Some of the psalmists and prophets also lamented about the apparent gross injustices. They were, however, reassured that in the end justice would prevail.[9]
In infinite and unfathomable wisdom, God has created an ordered universe and allowed humans, made in divine image and given freedom of choice, a limited control over it. The Creator has given people a desire to know how the universe works as well as to understand their lives in relation to it, to each other, and to God. At the same time, ultimate understanding that surpasses human reason is unavailable. Some insights can come through communion with the Divine in this life, but certain matters will for now remain beyond comprehension.[10]
The Bible, however, gives a wonderful hope – a time is coming of reconciliation between the Creator and humanity as well as a time of restoration and renewal of the universe. Then new knowledge will also be revealed and previous mysteries understood. A new heaven and earth will emerge with an order, beauty, and harmony that will pale today’s world into insignificance.[11]
© 2010 Eva Peck
This article is included in the author’s book entitled Divine Reflection in Natural Phenomena.
[1] Job 12:7-10; Psalm 104:5-30; 148:1-12; Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 14:7; Psalm 10:4; 14:1
[2] Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 3:19-20; Jeremiah 51:15; Galatians 5:23-25
[3] Matthew 5:45; Luke 6:35
[4] Psalm 19:1-6; Proverbs 6:6-8
[5] Deuteronomy 29:29; Job 5:9; 9:10-12; 37:5; 42:3; Psalm 145:3; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:6-14; 13:9-12
[6] Genesis 1:26; 3:1-24; Romans 7:18-23; Galatians 5:19-21
[7] Leviticus 26:3-45; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Proverbs 22:8-9; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 6:7-9; Exodus 34:6-7
[8] Job 12:4-6; 21:7-26; 38:1-42:3; Ecclesiastes 1:2-11; 11:5; 12:13-14;
[9] Psalm 37:1-40; 73:3-28; 94:3-23; Malachi 3:15-18; Habakkuk 1:13-17; 2:1-20
[10] Deuteronomy 29:29; Job 5:9; 9:10-12; 37:5; 42:3; Psalm 145:3; Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 2:6-14; 13:9-12
[11] Acts 3:21; Romans 8:19-24; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-4; Isaiah 11:6-10
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