What Nature tells us of God | Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

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.

What may be known about God from nature? What is plain?

That God is a God

* of order.

* Of economy–in brilliant ecosystems in which everything is recycled and nothing is wasted. God values efficiency it seems, everything has its purpose.

* who loves beauty

* who is creative

* whose goodness is extravagant–orchids which no eye ever sees

* who works for the joy of work, creating animals, insects, plants, stars, which will never be seen except by himself

* whose generosity is built into creation–in general, one reaps more than one sows, a multitude of fruit from a single apple or tomato seed.

* whose love is built into creation, in the parent-love most living creatures have for their offspring (and the longing to/for a mate). All living creatures are made to serve and be served, (to love and be loved–to take it a bit further). Everything is alive because of food and sustenance provided by other plants and animals, and they and their body, and life and endeavours will in turn provide food and sustenance for others.

* who has made variety in his creations, and treasures human variety too

* who is both fierce and gentle–Lord of hurricanes and earthquake and gentle winds

* That life contains light and darkness, winter and summer, rain and sunshine, abundance in summer and autumn, paucity in winter. As there is no reason to doubt the return of spring in winter, or dawn in the middle of the night, there is no reason to doubt God’s goodness in times of sadness or reverses. One might even say that times of both plenty and paucity are encoded into creation.

* creation rewards diligence-the planting and tending of seeds