Nature’s Grand Performance

Growing up I had the great privilege of attending many performances on the stage of the National Arts Centre in our nations’ capital. They were always special outings. I remember we would dress up in fancy outfits, usually go out for a nice supper and then we would sit spell-bound in our seats to watch the show on the stage before us. Sometimes it was a magnificent ballet, other times a powerful and moving orchestra, sometimes it was a ballet set to a live orchestra. But it was always a hundred or so individuals united with their trained talents to deliver their perfectly timed parts with one purpose in mind – to tell a beautifully written story for the enjoyment of the audience.

Upon leaving such a display of elegance, the comments always seemed to applaud the behind-the-scenes hands of the show – the writer, composer, choreographer – the unseen genius displayed through the dancers and musicians. I’m quite certain that after seeing such a performance as is worthy of the nation’s center stage, no one would say that the dancers and musicians just showed up and haphazardly, without a plan, did their best to throw it together in the moment. No, I think that we would all agree that such grace, beauty and perfect unity require design and intention – a writer, composer, choreographer and conductor, dancers and musicians, all working together within an over-arching theme and story,

The only thing that would result from an unwritten, uncomposed, unchoreographed, performance containing a hundred performers is chaos and disunity.

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Have you seen the even greater stage that presents itself before us each day? Nature stands day in and day out to perform for our eyes the great story of history. Do you see it?

Sunrise, sunset, consistency of days, months, seasons, years, beauty and variety that astounds the eye at every turn, creativity abounding from the minutest molecule to the vastest galaxy. Each flower, animal, ecosystem, planet and milky way is playing out its perfectly timed role in the great performance of nature. How much greater is this display than that of a ballet or an orchestra?

Even though we will give credit to the unseen choreographer of a ballet, our rebellious hearts refuse to acknowledge that there is intentional design, plan or purpose behind this grand performance which natures provides for us each day. How can this be?

For when we acknowledge there is design, then there has to be a designer.

And when we acknowledge that there is a designer, we are required to admit we are subjects to a higher authority, and we are not that higher authority.

So we talk ourselves into the lie that its all a perfect accident that began, not with purpose, but with a random explosion. May I ask – Have we not seen enough images of warzones in our day to understand that the only thing that results from explosions is chaos, disunity and destruction, not beauty, order, function and grace?

Look at nature’s great performance that plays out daily before you. The next time you see something beautiful, can I challenge you to really look at it, really take it in and appreciate it? Observe it’s intricacies and balance and ask yourself – what is it’s purpose and how is it like it is?

You may just find the answer to be – to tell a beautiful story for your enjoyment and to reveal to you the Great Designer and Creator, God Almighty, for your good.

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“The heavers declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Psalm 19:1-6 (The revelation of God in nature)