What is man

 

It was a beautiful day hike.  Tucked between the hustle of the city of Seattle and the mountains that separate Western Washington from the East is a picturesque wonder called Franklin Falls.   This was a warm July jaunt through manicured trails meandered along the Snoqualmie River through a cool canopy of forest.  The fumes of traffic faded.  The scent of pine and the smell of the sun warmed plant life swirled in my every breath.  This weekend’s adventure filled my soul. 

As I walked the trail I was reminded of the beauty of creation and the complexity of the vegetation.  The beautiful complexity of life. I wanted to sing along to the symphonic concert of cascading water on varied rocks, as it accompanied the rustle of the wind in the trees.  As nightfall set in; the sky sparkled, and the clear firmament revealed evening wonders.   I noted the incomparable masterpiece of art in the scenery that the day provided.  If you’ve ever taken a photo of a stunning moment in nature only to view it later and realize that a picture could never capture its true spender; then you know what I am talking about.   

I wonder if it was on a splendid mid-July day that David may have experienced a wilderness hike, a refreshing waterfall and then looked up at the heavens as the day came to an end and wrote Psalm 8.  I wonder if his soul was filled as he realized that as part of His creative work, the same God that fashioned it all truly is mindful of us.  He may have then penned, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

Centuries after the psalmist, David, penned these contemplative words of praise; we have scientific insight into the wonders of the creation he spoke of.  Wonders like those in space that we could take centuries more to just begin to understand.  In a recent news story, Odd space circles show we are far from running out of cosmic puzzles; the New Scientist story quips that, “Odd Radio Circles are a thrilling reminder of how much more there is left to discover out there.”  So much to discover out there and so much right here.

 The wonders of a simple spider in its daily function fascinate the most learned mind.  We copy, in biomimicry, it’s wonders.  Lenses made with spider silk could help take pictures inside the body.  Artificial spider webs shake to stay clean, just like the real thing. 

But there is one other wonder of creation which seems to be what God might consider his greatest formation, man.  Psalm 8 continues in awe; claiming that God not only cares about this seemingly small creature called man but that He crowns us in glory, makes us rulers over the works of His hands. 

Today on live from Seattle we will look beyond just the news and issues of the day to the exquisite design of nature, the God story.  When we see design, we see intent.  It is much like seeing a spider spin its web. We know there is a reason to feed, to catch, to live.  We’ll look at the formation of Mysterious Stone Age flint artefacts as scientist found and ask why they make the assumption that they  may be crude sculptures of humans, design and intent.  We will look at creation, be it a cool flowing waterfall, a spiders web or the seemingly endless cosmos and see astounding intellect and purposeful design. And we’ll declare as David did in Psalm 8, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  …and in the words of Buzz Light Year, to infinity and beyond.