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By: Pastor Peter Schlicht

When a recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary, widely used by schools across the nation, was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around 40 common words concerning nature had been dropped. The words were no longer being used enough to merit their place in the dictionary. The dropped list included words like acorn, adder, bluebell, dandelion, fern, heron, otter, and willow, just to name a few. Among words that took their place are attachment, blog, broadband, bullet-point, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail. It strikes me that this substitution—the outdoor and natural being displaced by the indoor and virtual—is a powerful sign of the growing gulf between modern life and the natural world God created. 

Growing up as a kid who loved playing outside, I wonder what effect a lack of time in God’s creation will have on younger generations. The process of isolation from nature has been subtle enough to seem unimportant compared to other purportedly more urgent issues. But, as is the case with the Devil’s best plans, the full devastation is not apparent until it is much too late for many. Whatever the consequence of this disconnection from nature will be, I have no doubt that it will be severe.

We live in an age unlike any other with respect to the overabundance of manmade material in our purview at all times. Just look out your window today. Can you even find one view that doesn’t include something manmade? God’s creation is increasingly dug up and paved over. And then there is screen time: our view is so often confined to the virtual world of a computer, TV, phone, or tablet. Finally, even when we do learn through videos about nature, it is oddly divorced from any reference to God. Instead, narrators wax on with intricate details which, while interesting, avoid the question of “Why does this exist?” And “What’s it all for?”

I look out my window while driving sometimes and imagine what the landscape would have looked like a mere hundred years ago. How much more of God’s raw creation could be appreciated back then? How about two hundred years ago? You wouldn’t have been able to deny the power and wisdom of God’s creation. You would have been forced to recognize your dependence upon the weather and the miracle of plant growth for food. You would have a closer connection to the animals that became your meals, a better appreciation for the lives given so that you could survive. Without large houses and buildings, your view would stretch much farther. No telephone wires or streetlights would obscure your view of the sky. You’d be able to see the stars at night. Without constant stimulation you would have to receive a profound education from the beauty of nature, the creation which sustains you, which threatens you, which tells about the power and wisdom of an Almighty God. I’m thankful that I do not live in the 1800s, but each age has its own difficulties and this is one of ours: We have lost our wonder in God’s creation.

We are often impressed by the works of humans. For instance, think about how minds are drawn to the engineering wonders of humankind. However, this is ultimately just a process of humans using the brains God gave them to manipulate the matter he first created. Logically, the glory must still go to God for these creations. Yet, even so, doesn’t the most complex creation of humankind still pale in comparison to the smallest detail of the Almighty’s original design? Have we forgotten that the blueprint of a mighty oak tree is shut up in a single acorn? Have we forgotten that without any human help, this single seed will grow to become thousands of times larger than its original form and reproduce thousands more, while feeding and sheltering numerous animals and insects? How many trees are in your yard? Like me, I bet you walk right past these incomprehensibly complex organisms consisting of billions of cells working in symphonic harmony. Why? We have been distracted by lesser things. We mistake the definition of the created and the Creator. We forget what is really impressive.

There is something innately vital about our connection to God’s creation. Not the least of which is an understanding of God’s nature and power (“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Rom 1:20), the purposeful and personal nature of an individual’s existence (“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14), and an inescapable wrestling with the brevity of human life compared to the enduring nature of the created universe (“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever…He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecc 1:4; 3:11). These principles, facets of our natural knowledge of God, are the bedrock of a Christian worldview. They bring us to our knees in awe and, together with the conscience, drive us to seek our Creator in his Word, the revealed wisdom of God which contains the most vital truth: Free and full salvation in Christ alone. 

Take some time this summer to get outside. Marvel at the largest and smallest details God’s creation. Force your kids outside and lock the door. ;) Protect and care for the small part of God’s creation you steward. Rethink what is impressive. Realize that humans cannot create, only manipulate. Admire and get interested in science for its greatest potential: “thinking God’s thoughts after him.” (Johannes Kepler) Reclaim your wonder of God’s creation. 

[This article is Part 4 of 4. Part 1 focused on the False Conflict between faith and science. Part 2 focused on the Conflicting Premises of science that assume there is no god. Part 3 talked about Anchor Points which addressed remaining rightly critical and grounded upon Scripture.]