Perceiving the Creator

"For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator."  So states the fifth verse of the thirteenth chapter of the book of Wisdom in the Old Testament.  The author of this sentence, and the sentences that precede it in the chapter, wants to remind his audience that the grandeur of natural creation is supposed to elicit thoughts and awareness of the One who has created.  That grandeur, however, ought not to be deified.  How much better is the Lord, he exclaims, "the author of beauty" (Wisdom 13:3)!

Blowing Rock, NC
Photo Credit: Wife

Family and I were blessed to experience this for ourselves during the past weekend.  We took a day-long pilgrimage to a nearby mountain range to gaze upon ancient and rugged peaks, see autumn foliage that is perhaps unparalleled on earth, and share each other's company.  There is no doubt in my mind that we were successful on all three accounts.  And, there is no doubt in my mind that each of us encountered the Author of Beauty in a profound way.

When a person arrives at such an august scene, she might shudder just a bit.  The Catholic faith tells us that the reason for that reaction is twofold.  First, it is a response of "humility and respect before the Creator and his work."  Second, it expresses an innate understanding that "god willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him" (Catechism of the Catholic Church #299).  In other words, anyone who stands before created natural beauty feels unworthy and grateful, both in the same instant.  She knows that she has had no part in crafting the reality upon which her eyes have fallen, and she is thankful that she has the opportunity to enjoy it.

This is exactly what Wife and I tried to impress upon our children.  We whispered the truth about God and beauty and gifts into their young ears.  While only two of them are old enough to comprehend such talk, we thought it important to speak to all of them and let their eyes scan the horizon.  The classical formula of knowledge is that everything begins in the senses, even before a person comprehends what the sense is sensing.  A person can be in proximity to truth by sensing beauty through eyes, ears, nose, and skin.  Our thought, then, is that these experiences will allow our children to appreciate natural beauty and arrive at the corresponding perception of the Creator that the biblical author though was so necessary.

Seekers of Truth & Beauty
Photo Credit: Unknown Visitor

There is potential, however, to think that the Big Creator has concocted and granted this gift, but has no interest in continuing to act within it, or to interact through it with the humans who occupy it.  This, of course, is antithetical to the reason that creation happened in the first place.  Creation was not necessary, and neither was humanity, which is the pinnacle of creation.  Before all time and space, God is perfectly blessed and content within Himself.  Therefore, everything that exists (water, plant, bald eagle, and me) was created freely and out of nothing.  So, when a man sees a river full of trout, a glorious sunrise over an Australian beach, or a beautiful family of wife and children, he must know that it comes from God.  He must also know that it is utterly dependent on God for its sustained existence, for without the Divine Mind, it would cease to be.  This might cause a person to ask: why, then, does this exist?

The reality just described provides a rough outline of the conversation that took place between God and me while I walked with my family and witnessed breathtaking vistas.  I had to admit that the things I saw were bigger than me, and that they weren't dependent on me in any way.  Yet, I also knew in that moment that this is one way that God speaks to me.  Thus, God spoke the lesson to me: the grandeur of creation exists precisely so that human beings might know and share the eternal and never-ending love of God.  God speaks, and He speaks loudly in those moments that leave such a indelible impression.  What is even more glorious is that He wants me, and us, to speak back.  Indeed, He wants to enter into conversation, into relationship with me, and He has chosen to use natural beauty to do just that.

Kings of the (Tiny) Mountain!
Photo Credit: Wife

A quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola makes a fitting thought for concluding this post.  The great spiritual master wrote, "Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.  The other things on the face of the earth are created for man to help him in attaining the end for which he is created.  Hence, man is to make use of them insofar as they help him in the attainment of his end...."  It is not unlikely that many humans can and will find the tabernacle of nature as an appropriate setting to praise, reverence, and serve the Lord.  To the extent that mountains and foliage and family time lead me closer to my Lord, they are a very good thing.  However, if I turn those things into gods, I have perverted god's original intention.  I pray only that the beautiful things in life will always lead me back to a renewed conversation with the Creator, and that I will always be able to perceive Him more clearly.