The Voice of Creation

Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that?

— St. Augustine

In our modern world, if we look below, all we see is pavement.  Above us, the glorious night sky is concealed by street lights.   The music of the celestial bodies is obscured by the constant hum of traffic and the roar of jets passing over.   The voice of the created world is not as loud as it used to be.

Designed to Teach

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you;  or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this,  in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

Job 12:7-10

Whom among us is listening?   Do modern Christians live as if their breath is from God?  Who counsels their brother or sister with these words?

The Disinterested Love for God: Part Three – Psalm 104

Part One

Part Two

Psalm 104 is an example of disinterested love for God.   Psalm 104 is a glaring light that exposes Christianity’s inability to exhibit proper affection towards God.

When it comes right down to it, we do not know the God of Psalm 104.   The sentiment expressed in the Psalm is as foreign to us as a language that we do not know how to speak.

In Psalm 104, David is not thinking about himself.  David’s thoughts are completely focused on God and His creative works.  David correctly recognizes that we have insight into the character and nature of God through His creation.   In Psalm 19, David says “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.”  David dedicates the entire 104th Psalm to worshiping God based on Who He is as demonstrated by His creative acts.

Psalm 104 begins with an expression of praise…

“Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty”

David then proceeds to contemplate the creative works of God.  He writes of the foundations of the earth and the boundaries of the oceans.  He writes of mountain springs that flow into valleys and give drink to wild animals and provide shelter for birds along its banks.  He praises God for the vegetation of the earth and how it provides food for cattle and men.   He continues to write of fir trees, storks, wild goats, rock chucks, the seasons of the moon, the setting of the sun, lions at night, and the labors of men in the day.

Psalm 104:24 “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions”

David concludes his thoughts with this expression…

Psalm 104:34 “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.”

David finds great pleasure in God.  The ability to “be glad in the LORD” has been lost in modern Christianity.   Yes, we know about the God of David, but we do not feel about Him as David felt.   This is no small problem especially in light of the greatest commandment to love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

There are two main reasons for this problem in Christianity.  First, our culture is disturbingly and increasingly self-absorbed.   It is losing or has completely lost the ability to take pleasure in something for its own sake.  Everything, and I mean everything, is viewed in relationship to ourselves.  Art galleries are no longer about art, but investments.   What makes a piece of art valuable is not the art itself, but what number it is in a series.  Popular music is not about intrinsic meaning or quality, but about the emotions it awakens within us.  Once the music no longer produces the desired emotion, the music loses its value.  This attitude is so prevalent in our culture, it is difficult to find an exception.  As Christians continue to seek to speak the language of our culture, the more desperate the condition of American Christianity will be.

Secondly, modern man has become increasingly alienated from God’s creation.   This is most clearly demonstrated in modern cities.  Who meditates on the foundations of the earth and the boundaries of the oceans? (Snore) Who thinks on mountain springs that flow through valleys and the wild animals that it sustains?  (A waste of time) Who even knows what a rock badger is? (Odd)  Who thanks God for the rain that waters the grain to make the bread and provide feed for the cattle as he sits to eat at Applebee’s?  (Pretentious)

It is no wonder we do not love David’s God the way David did.

Counterpoint in Photography

As I expressed earlier, the concept of counterpoint is seen throughout the natural world and has an indelible effect on mankind.   Also, earlier I examined that this effect is not best explained as a result of evolutionary psychology, but because we are created in the Imago Dei (image of God).

As a photographer, I am always looking to better train my eye to see beauty.   It is fairly easy to take a pleasant picture focusing on the rule of thirds, right lighting and exposure.  Taking a great picture that produces a sense of awe and wonder is very different.   During a judged show for which I had submitted photos, a question was raised to Leland Howard, one of  Idaho’s (in my opinion one of the world’s) finest landscape photographers, of what makes a great photo.  He stated that a great photo is one that impacts you emotionally.   As seen in his work he instinctively knows what is exceptionally moving and what is common.

I believe that one of the key components in great photography is counterpoint.   There should be at least two elements within an image that are each independently beautiful and emotionally moving.   It is the combination of these different elements that are independently beautiful, that when joined in complete perfection, are substantially more than the sum of their parts.  When confronted with the scene before us we are not thinking about ourselves but are experiencing the contemplative pleasure of beauty.

This image is a good example of simple counterpoint.   This abandoned home is wonderful in the light of the setting sun with its color complementing the snow all around it.   The full moon is also beautiful in itself.  Full moons always capture our imagination and almost every time bring a second glance.   The combination of the old home and the full moon are more than the sum of their parts.   Contemplated together they are emotionally moving and bring us to awe and stillness.