Last week, whenever I opened my computer, I was inundated with spectacular pictures of the Aurora Borealis and Australis, being shared by friends who live in a little nearer to the poles than we do.
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I find it stunning to think that a storm on the sun can cause the amazing light shows that so many have had the opportunity to enjoy.
One day, I hope to visit somewhere where I can see them in person.
Although our region may have missed out on witnessing the Aurora, Autumn is a time when we experience our fair share of natural beauty in the form of the changing colours of the trees. We could add to this the rolling hills that surround our town or the regularly enjoyed sight of a sunset rippling through the clouds.
I find these moments of beauty all the more stunning when I consider that they are moments of art. As the nineteenth Psalm reminds us, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Of course, some will reply that mind-blowing as they might be, these moments are really just accidents of nature. Scientific exploration has enabled know the causes and the mechanics behind such events. There is no greater rhyme or reason to them and definitely no reason to attribute them to the work of a deity!
Yet, few of us are able to live our lives consistently as if that line of reasoning were really true. For instance, we don't imagine that the miracle of our own infinitely complex existence is an accident of the blind laws of nature. We live as if we are more than a fleeting accident of nature's forces. We believe that we have value and purpose. And it is a rare person who, when the topic arises, does not express the expectation of an existence beyond the moment when their physical bodies die and decay.
Nor is it true to say that understanding the mechanical cause of something is proof that these forces are unguided. A trained mechanic could describe the workings of a Ford Model T motor car. But who would claim that this is reason to call Henry Ford's existence, or his genius for design and production, into question?
In fact, many of the great scientific explorers of the natural world see its beauty and complexity as proof of God's existence.
Francis Collins, for example, the leader of the team of scientists who mapped out the human genome, has said, "I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship."
Or consider Issac Newton, whose work was so revolutionary that Alexander Pope wrote of him, "Nature, and Nature's laws lay hid in night. God said, Let Newton be! and all was light." Newton, would state that, "In want of other proofs, the thumb would convince me of the existence of a God."
Which brings me back to the beauty of nature. The beauty of these moments is only enhanced when we consider that they are momentary displays of God's artistry. They are God's good gift for the enjoyment of the people he made to enjoy him and his creation. And, knowing that God is attentive enough to his creation to light up the sky or change the colour of each individual leaf on the tree, I am filled with wonder that he is also attentive to you and to me.
