BEAUTIFUL ACCIDENTS

Common Sense vs Nonsense

This small portion pictured above is from one of the most famous works of art in the world. Michelangelo laid on his back four years and painted the ceiling in the Sisteen Chapel. We know this because history tells us it is his work and that is how long it took. It is amazing to say the least. It is one of the most visited places on earth because of it's artistry and the time and effort it took for one man. This portion of the ceiling is one of the most recognizable portions of the work. The hand on the left is Adam. The hand on the right is God. Got chills yet?

I was thinking about creation this morning on my walk around the dog park with Wagsley. Its hard not to when surrounded by nature and all its vast array. The thought hit me out of the blue, we see God's handiwork and yet "science" tells us that it just happened. Humans accept this as fact because some man or woman with lots of fancy titles after their name said it is true. Perhaps they have written volumes, were interviewed in magazines or on television so they are the "expert". We hold experts in high esteem, after all they went to college and studied.

Imagine walking into the Sistine Chapel and the tour guide expert said, "above us you will find an amazing freak of nature. It is said that this building rose up from the ground unassisted by anyone over the course of a century. It evolved and continued to create in itself all of the columns and architectural structures we now see. Then over the course of another hundred years this image began to appear. It slowly took shape with many amazing details and vibrant colors. One day it stopped its evolution and we have what we see today. Some attribute this to one man who laid on his back for four years and painted it. The most educated scholars claim that this cannot be true, for who has that amount of patience? It is now deemed fact by the powers-that-be, this amazing spectacle happened by chance."

I bet you see where I am going with this. If you are an art lover as am I, you would stand in front of this person and not be able to hold your tongue! "You are a lunatic!" would be the first thing out of my mouth. Perhaps not the kindest approach, but honestly it is utter lunacy to think that something so amazing just happened. I wonder though, how many others on this same tour would say, "wow, that's just amazing. I'm glad we have experts to tell us that what is obviously true is not what actually happened."

What the tour guide would be participating in is something called gaslighting. This is the practice of taking an obvious truth and calling it something else entirely. They use the words of an educated person as truth and ignore the evidence all around them. This is what has happened in our world with the miracle of creation. An entire planet of people are in denial of what clearly sits before them in their own backyard and in their physical bodies. I don't care where you live in this world, creation is undeniable. The mountain ranges, the oceans, the deserts, the prairies, the skies, the powerful weather, all of it screams "THERE IS A GOD AND HE LOVES YOU!"

We know that buildings don't just build themselves. We know that statues don't carve themselves, paintings don't paint themselves and pottery doesn't form itself. We know airplanes don't drop out of the sky new and ready to fly. Trees don't evolve into houses, and whales into cruise ships. All of these things we know have creators or builders. Yet so many believe that the earth is a product of an explosion. We can see the result of explosions and they are usually pretty messy and destructive. I've never seen an explosion that didn't need a clean up on aisle 5. However, for some reason the gaslighting was so strong across this planet that it convinced billions of people that they were just an accidental result of billions of years of improbable life after the most massive explosion imaginable.

To this I say NONSENSE!

It is just as obvious that there is a creator of the earth as it is that a very talented and dedicated God-fearing artist painted the Sistine Chapel. We don't deny the work of Michelangelo, but we deny the work of God who breathed life into Michelangelo!

Have we completely lost our minds?

Look around at the world. There is so much diversity among plants, animals, birds, rocks, fish, landscapes, and even humans. Our very fingerprints are unique, and there is no God? To deny God and His creation is as absurd as saying the Mona Lisa just appeared on the wall of the Louvre, the statue of David was found already carved in the marble quarries of Italy, and the Taj Mahal just sprang up one day completely decked out in fine gold overlay. You would be labelled a fool to say such things.

Imagine Jesus standing with you admiring the Sistine Chapel. You are both looking up at the artistry and marveling at the time it took to paint this masterpiece. Jesus turns to you and says, "That's impressive! Did you know I created the entire world in 6 days?" What if you turned to Him and said, "That's just a story according to my professor at the university. He said that is impossible, and you aren't even real."

This is what mankind has done. Even some folks who call themselves Christians say that the story of creation is just a nice story. They see the world around them, but are convinced that the Big Bang theory is truth and the Bible is just a collection of stories. I don't think I'd want to be in their shoes when Jesus comes back.

Is not the creation of the world a most magnificent masterpiece? We photograph sunsents, mountains, deserts, oceans, storms, tiny creatures, monsterous creatures and say "Isn't mother nature amazing?" Who is this mother nature? There is no such person. There is only Father God Creator of all we survey. Everytime we take a picture of Niagra Falls, the Grand Canyon or Giant Sequoias of California we are capturing God's handiwork. It is breathtaking and spectacular!

We are no accident! Of this I am certain!

So then if the truth of creation is clearly seen by what is all around us, then is not the same true of God's love also written in the scriptures? You can't have one without the other. God created us in His image. Michelangelo beautifully demonstrates this with the hand of God and the hand of Adam reaching towards each other. God desires a relationship with those He created, and we have a longing for God. We are His MASTERPIECE!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Are you crying yet? I am. I was crying as I was walking and all of this flooded my soul. God is so good when He reveals these things to me. I had to cry out, "I love you Father!" These overwhelming moments with God are what I live for. When He reveals to me something so powerful as this blog, I know He wants me to write it down. It is what made David write the way he did. Those psalms didn't write themselves! These blogs aren't coming from me. God is my rock. He is my creator, my savior and my first love. The closer I get to Him the less fear, worry, doubt or longing for this world that I have. He fills every empty part of my life.

Imagine Jesus walking beside you on a path through the mountains of New England in the fall. Both of you are quiet as the rich colors of the season surround you. The crisp air and quiet rustling of the leaves tell you that a change is coming and to prepare for colder weather. He looks at you and smiles, "I created this time of year to remind you that life will change, but there is hope in that change. The rich colors cover the land one last time before death and winter. Do not fear the coldness of Winter. Spring is on it's way. You will be resurrected to a new life. I love you more than anything. You are mine."

When I was driving home God confirmed all of this to me when a Toby Mac song came on the radio. I was laughing so hard and turned it up. The lyrics below will make you smile. This is how great my God is and how He proves Himself to me over and over again.

I see You in everything, all day

And every beat of my heart keeps reminding me

I see You in every little thing, all day

No matter where I go I know Your love is finding me

I see You in everything!

So the next time you view an amazing work of art at a museum, stand in the ruins of fantastic ancient architecture, or read a simple blog post remind yourself that the people who accomplished these things are only humans who were gifted by a loving Creator and are just one more piece of evidence that God loves you and wants a relationship with you.

Genesis 1:27 "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Romans 1:20 "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."

John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."