The school exam season has arrived for our eldest grandson and granddaughter; for him, it is A-levels and for her GCSEs. One might imagine that things are about to get a little fraught in their household. Our granddaughter has perfectionist tendencies, where she views anything less than excellent as some sort of failure. Over the past two days, she tackled her first exam subject, which was Art. The run-up to this wasn’t an easy time as she needed to do a lot of catching up with coursework, but amazingly, she seemed to approach the final two-day exercise without particular difficulty. We received a positive bulletin from our daughter at the end of day one, and an even better one yesterday. Apparently, she finished with time to spare and was “pretty happy with the result”. The clear implication is that she did a really good job. We are very grateful to God for enabling her to get over this first examination hurdle with peace and apparent success, and proud of our granddaughter for this achievement.
Perfectionist?
In the first chapter of Genesis, we read the creation story. This narrative tells us on seven occasions that God considered what he had made and it was good. The last of these states that God saw that what he had created was very good. God was satisfied with his work – perhaps more than satisfied. So, what do you think – is God a perfectionist?
That is an interesting question, isn’t it? The answer must surely be that if God himself is perfect, which he is, then anything that he does must reflect that perfection. God was able to look upon his handiwork with satisfaction – it was indeed very good. But things changed, didn’t they? The pinnacle of all that creative work, man, became corrupted.
Contamination
Romans 8:20-22 tells us that the fall of mankind had repercussions on the creation as a whole. Our failure and corruption are like a stain that seeped from us and contaminated everything else; a moral dye that subjected the creation to futility. This begs the question of whether God still looks at his creation with satisfaction. I believe that he does. He created something perfect, which no longer is, but that wasn’t his doing. What he created still has beauty, grandeur, and magnificence. He made mankind with the ability to reflect his own creativity – we are creative beings, and surely, he delights to see how we exercise the ability with which he has endowed us. I believe that our own creative efforts delight his heart, whatever form these take. Clearly, man’s corruption means that we don’t always use this ability to form things of beauty – some generate ugliness. But for the most part, we are true to our creator in using that with which he has endowed us to positive ends. We do what we have been called to do, husbanding the world around us in good ways.
Holidays
Jean and I enjoy taking holidays in France. We avoid the cities, basing ourselves rather in smaller towns. We have been struck by the way that these communities focus resources on the lived environment. One of our first such visits was to Albert (Albere), in the Somme region. We stayed in a hotel on the very edge of the town. A short distance further out, the road formed a bridge with a balustrade to prevent pedestrians from falling into the river below. Even this out-of-town location was emblazoned with flowering plants set in troughs that hung on the railings. It seems that beauty and quality of life are very important to French people. Such a small thing reflects mankind’s creative instincts, delights our eyes and hearts, and pleases our maker.
Beauty
One of the things that amazes me most about how God created everything is that he placed within us the ability to perceive beauty on so many levels. There is beauty in complexity and in simplicity, beauty in order and in chaos, beauty in grandeur and in the minute. And there is, of course, beauty in one another – in form, movement and expression; in character and personality. There is beauty in truth and integrity, in joyfulness and in tenderness. God made things beautiful and blessed us with the capacity to enjoy what he has made.
When we express beauty, whether within ourselves, our actions or the things we create, God looks upon us with delight.
Design
We can appreciate these things all the more when our hearts are in tune with our creator. Many who do not know God look both at themselves and around themselves, and fail to see beauty. They may be despondent, discouraged and perhaps even depressed, because they expect to see the adverse effects of human failings. Those who walk hand in hand with their creator are enabled to see things from his perspective. Yes, we are spoiled by sin, but our lack of perfection doesn’t mean that there is nothing to celebrate, either within us or in our own creativity. Even things that deny spiritual realities or distort man’s understanding of them can still reflect the creator’s original design.
Witnesses
Let’s be encouraged to see beauty in all the places where it may be found, and not be afraid to recognise and celebrate this, no matter where it resides. There is purpose in all that God has made and done. We can’t deny the results of our sinful behaviour, but we must recognise that, despite such failings, the things that surround us radiate something of the glory of God.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
“Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17
Pointers
All of these things that we have considered point us to God. They are evidence of his design in the creation, and of his love towards the people whom he has created. They also lead us to recognise that we need him in our lives. To try to make good in this life whilst estranged from our creator is foolishness. At best, we will be deliberately trying to live with one hand tied behind our backs. In Acts 17:28a, Paul quotes the words: “In him we live and move and have our being”. We all live in the world that God has created for us, a world that reflects him wherever we dwell. To us who have a personal knowledge of God through salvation, we rejoice in his handiwork and discover great satisfaction in our own creative endeavours as we fulfil his purpose for us.
Salvation
For those who deny God, Paul is clear indeed:
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19,20
A world that radiates the reality of God clearly points us to him. Whilst we are more than capable of reflecting God’s purpose for us, we are also marred, morally corrupted, and in need of a Saviour. This is why God sent his son to be a sacrifice for our sin, that we may seek his forgiveness and cleansing, making way for a new life, lived in harmony with God and guided by his Spirit. John 3:16-18.