The sun had barely risen, casting a pink hue on the desert countryside. Tops of rocks illuminated by the sunlight contrasted with the surrounding shady areas. Some of the rock formations were reminiscent of large skulls, perhaps not unlike those at Golgotha where Jesus’ crucifixion took place. Walking over stony paths and then through cultivated parks, we marvelled at God’s creation – as well as man’s. Nature had provided the building blocks and people arranged them to create parks and gardens. Even the human ability to think aesthetically, to design, and to bring plans into reality is God given.
According to the Genesis creation story, God personally sculpted the first man from soil, making him in his image and then breathing life into him. Like God, each person is in their unique way a creator. In fact, we are all co-creators with the Divine. Endowed with creative abilities and inspired, humans can produce remarkable works of art and beauty. Often drawing on ideas and insights from nature and utilizing what God created for materials, they plant picturesque gardens, construct impressive buildings, and develop technological wonders.[1]
On our walk, we were awed by the seemingly ordinary things in nature – the symmetry and magnificence of each date palm; a desert bush with green fruit in the shape and size of tennis balls; and the various shades of green of the palms, wattles, eucalypti, shrubs, plants and grasses. Also fascinating were the leaf shapes varying from round to oval to heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, to long and narrow, to short and tiny. Equally amazing was the range of tex-tures – soft, firm, smooth, coarse, hairy and velvety. Flowers in diverse sizes, shapes and colours provided splashes of crimson, pink, orange, yellow and white among the peaceful greenery. What variety, intricacy, and splendour just in the plant kingdom!
The park with its gardens featured shady balustrades, gurgling fountains, and sparkling water pools amid tall trees, trimmed hedges, bright flowers, and neat lawns. Add chirping birds overhead, a friendly cat on the ground, friends chatting on a shady bench, children climbing the playground equipment – and the setting is reminiscent of paradise.[2]
Contrast to Divine Creation
By contrast, other human creations are far removed from the beauty of the Creator’s handiwork. Ill-designed buildings in drab colours, graffiti disfigured walls, litter-filled streets, overflowing rubbish containers, noisy traffic, and polluted air offer little serenity and refreshment to the soul. Many suffer in dirt, deprivation and disease, together with tensions, quarrels, fighting, immorality and degeneration in environments largely devoid of anything edifying to the human spirit.
The two contrasting creations – one conducive to health and life, the other to sickness and death – can be analogous of the two distinctive trees said to have grown in the Garden of Eden. According to the Genesis narrative, the tree of life symbolized the way to eternal life and was freely available. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil signified a way of life contrary to the Creator and was forbidden. Although appearing good, it was deceptive, leading humans to suffering and death. The biblical record, not literal but nonetheless true, shows that humankind partook of the latter tree and has therefore acquired both kinds of knowledge – good and evil. This may help explain why humans are capable of stunning positive accomplishments, as well as unbelievably evil deeds.[3]
Other Contrasting Creations
In a divine plan decreed in eternity, two other contrasting creations have been allowed to exist side by side – one old and one new. They are two states of the heart.
The first is the natural human heart, also referred to as a heart of stone – a hard, unbelieving heart, of and by itself unresponsive to God. Essentially deceitful, selfish, lawless, and blinded to the knowledge of God, it produces what the Bible refers to as the works of the flesh. These deeds include selfish ambition, idolatry, witchcraft, jealousy, envy, strife, rage, hatred, murder, immorality, debauchery and drunkenness. Other spiritual writers speak of a life ruled by the ego, focused only on the self. Inevitably the result includes the ugly creation described earlier with its accompanying pain and suffering.[4]
The Scriptures also speak of a new, pure heart. A gradual process of recreating the old heart is underway in many human lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God is transforming the stony heart of people into a heart of flesh capable of understanding the things of God and pursuing a life of love and kindness. This new heart produces the fruit of goodness, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faith, meekness and temperance.[5]
The Bible predicts a time when the spiritual condition fuelling the old deceitful heart and bringing about rebellion, hate, fighting, lies, deception and destruction will no longer influence humankind.[6]
Ultimately, a new creation will shine forth – a new heaven and new earth, where sin, sorrow, crying and death will have ceased to exist or be remembered. Love, joy, beauty and peace will prevail forever.[7]
With the eyes of faith, we can catch glimpses of the new creation already today. However its full grandeur is yet ahead – a time when those practising love and kindness – divine love available through the Holy Spirit – will be clothed with immortal, glorified bodies and pursue exhilarating lives in another dimension. In the process, they will also be learning the secrets and mysteries of life they have ever wondered about. This is the glorious hope of the ages beyond the sufferings of this life.[8]
[1] Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 9:6; 11:6
[2] Genesis 1:28-31; 2:8-9
[3] Genesis 2:9, 16-17; 3:1-8
[4] Jeremiah 17:9; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 2:5; 8:5-7; Ephesians 4:18-19; Galatians 5:19-21
[5] 2 Corinthians 3:3; 5:17; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Peter 1:22; Galatians 5:22-23; 6:15
[6] 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; John 8:44; 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 3:8-10; Revelation 12:4-9; 20:2, 10
[7] Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-7
[8] Romans 8:18-25; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12; 15:51-54
The post Of Creations and Creators appeared first on Heart and Soul Ezine.