Will we see?

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4 ESV).

What explains beauty?

Why do we recognize beauty at all?  It's a question with much discussion and a long answer. It's bigger than this short reflection can cover, but I’ll touch on a small part of an explanation. I believe our perception of beauty rests in God. We look at his creation and the things we have made from his creation, and we see their beauty. We are can perceive beauty because God himself is beautiful and he made us for himself. We see his glory declared by them.

Reflected

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1 ESV).

As beautiful as nature is, it is a dim reflection
of the beauty of God. As amazing as humanity is (and we are amazing, for we bear his image) we pale in comparison to the Son, for he is the very image of God. When you see the Son, you see the Father (John 14:9). Flesh veiled his divine glory during his earthly ministry, yet his glory remained evident to those with eyes to see. After his resurrection and ascension, there was more.

Waiting

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3a ESV).

Jesus is the apaugasma, the radiance reflection, or brilliance of the glory of God. He does not merely reflect this glory. He himself is the incarnate reflection of this glory. So, in nature we see declarations of glory. In humanity, we see his image born in creation. In the Son, we see the glory itself.

Changing

His glory is everywhere we look, and if we are to perceive and experience it, we must attend.  We must pause along the way,

And so we wait...

being where we are rather than where we intend to end up. We must see reality in light of God's beauty, for only then will the impact be sufficient. Only then will we understand his glory in that which is daily and mundane. Only then will we see how the variety in creation reflects God's variegated glory. We will see his glory reflected in the daily transformation of night to day and day to night. We will see it reflected in the transformation of spring blooms to summer fruit and fall harvest to winter rest. We will begin to understand that while God's glory is more complex and beautiful than creation can ever tell, creation continues to declare. We will see that even when darkness and chill
shroud his glory, it remains visible for those who see.

Glory lived: Where do we begin?

Every day I make coffee, walk from here to there, and get some sleep. These things are routine; they're nothing special. Or at least that's how it seems. But what if I'm wrong about that? What if these daily routines are expressions of God's glory?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul calls his readers to live out God's glory: "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:17 ESV). Life in the name of Jesus centers on his truth, authority, and reputation. A life of gratitude to the Father centers on God as the Savior who has moved us from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of his dear Son. And the whatever? Well, that includes making coffee, walking here to there, and getting sleep, as well as a myriad of other things.

What if I began asking,

(1) How do these declare God's power and divinity?

(2) How do these express my gratitude to God? and

(3) How do these tend to help someone or something better glorify God?

What would happen to my perspective? I wonder.

Glory Perceived

God is obvious for any who have eyes to see. God’s “invisible attributes...have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world” (Romans 1:20 ESV) and “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1a). For Christians, whose perception has been redeemed by Jesus' blood, though, seeing the evidence can still be tough. I don't know about you, but too many days my life is routine. My attention falters and I miss the message that creation declares, Glory!

The other day on my way to work at Biola I pressed pause and took the road less traveled. Rather than the short, direct path, I chose to walk through the park that runs along part of our campus. Walking on the pavement, between mowed grass and the cement-lined creek, I entered the tunnel under La Mirada Blvd.  As I emerged, I spotted a hummingbird hovering over the creek. It hovered in place, then up, then down, then side to side and then backwards. Hummingbird science shouted: Glory.

My attention heightened, I began to see. Green plants glowed in the morning sun. Water gurgled. A Mallard dipped its bill in the water. I was glad to have arrived early enough to slow down and enjoy the moment. This place, this beauty, this teeming life speaks. How had I not taken the time to notice its message? Glory!

As I continued on to my office, I began to realize how much I had missed, walking just to get somewhere and working just to finish something. Yes, even the work and play shout: Glory!

God is Creator and Lord of everything: algebra, knees, painting, dinner, medicine, puppies, engineering, and English class. While nothing in creation is perfect this side of heaven, even that which is desperately broken reflects glory as if by shattered glass. We only need hearts to see.

As for me, I'll be spending more mornings in Creek Park. How about you?