In previous articles, we have considered the beauty of God as present in his being, found in his attributes, and emphasised in his holiness. We continue to look at two final aspects.
Creation: God’s handwriting
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a 19th century American pantheist who advocated transcendental meditation, but in his early life he was greatly influenced by Christian teaching.
He clearly remembered that when he wrote: ‘Never lose the opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, beauty is God’s handwriting.’ Even the pop singer Michael Jackson knew something of the truth when he said: ‘Wherever you go, man-made things are man-made, but you’ve got to get out and see God’s beauty in the world.’
I shall never forget the experience with our teenage son during a father-and-son weekend in the Lake District. We had climbed the fells above Buttermere and stood looking down on the vista of the shimmering lake below. It was a clear, bright day and we stood in awed silence, taking in the view. I became aware that there were tears running down his cheeks. ‘Are you okay?’ I asked. All he said was, ‘It’s so beautiful!’
