God creates beauty around us
by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
It doesn't take a long search to find something of beauty around us. There is beauty in people, in the animals one finds across the world, birds, reptiles, fish. There are hundreds of tropical fish species that are very colorful, that are seen in fish tanks and by people who go diving in our Southern waters. There is even beauty in the paleness of winter (not where I live in Florida), when trees are bare and nothing seems to grow, but many people have no appreciation for this drab habitat. A contemplative person, who is very much in tune with God on a daily basis, will see the beauty of His creation no matter what the season is.
Beauty is a gift of God. His love for us, either collectively or personally, is sheer beauty. People who love God are complete in Him when that love is reciprocal. Love is always a two-way street. God told us to love Him and our neighbor as we love ourselves. I can say God loves me, but if I do not respond in kind, or at least try to, then something is missing in that relationship. Just as it takes great reciprocal love to hold a marriage together, it takes a similar relationship with God to merit His Gift of love. The reciprocal relationship must be one of humility and gentleness - you can't shout at God and demand anything - if you do that, you will get nothing. But ... suppose we have a person, who by nature is always cantankerous, will that person find God's love? I think so. God is merciful and compassionate. He will help you conform to Him, if you will let Him.
God created the human species, and He gave us intelligence. There are great examples of God-given intelligence. Read the history of mechanical things, computers, all sorts of electronics, God gave us the intelligence to invent things that help the human species. Physicians have all sorts of marvelous medical machines which, with their knowledge behind the machines, can heal us. When I'm asked to pray for healing by a friend or even a stranger, I pray that Our Lord guide the hand of the surgeon about to operate ... God doesn't need the surgeon to heal anyone, but we need the doctors.
How terrible the stories we see on the news, read in newspapers, or hear on the radio, of people who commit horrible crimes, murder, rape, etc. We have been created by God. How can a criminal justify taking a life, or raping another person of dignity and health? And it seems to get worse. Some wonder if this is God's punishment. No. God does not do evil things even to justify the good. People create environments where there is no love, only hatred, where people are so egotistical that they become judge and jury toward anyone else who crosses them. There are some horrible examples of this, as we see every day on television, on the News.
Wars are not the product of God. Wars are created by people, often by the lack of intelligence to see all the ramifications of such an extreme action. To blame God for the killing of thousands of innocent people is a mistake. God does not kill anyone - it is sinful man who places people in harms way. Even though I believe this, I am not a pacifist. I served in the US Army when I was much younger, and where there is a direct threat to my country, I would of course support military action. However, talking in a diplomatic sense doesn't seem to be America's strong point anymore. Maybe we should talk a lot more. Even to God - ask God for advice, for discernment about a serious problem in your lives, and good results usually follow, if we are open to God's solution. That works for a sour marriage too: pray about it together, then, talk about the problem without rancor on either side of the discussion. If you are open to God, you will probably be open to one another, as well.
There is great beauty around us, but there can also be great beauty within us. If people talk to God, to Jesus, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, however your relationship to God, what are they doing? They are praying! That's what prayer is, a conversation with God! So if you are doing it already, keep on it. God loves you, and He wants us to be His brothers and sisters, like children coming to the Father. And for those who are not talking to Him, what are you waiting for? He will welcome you with open arms.
We, in the Catholic Church, have the Sacred Species of the Eucharist, and so He (Jesus) brings us closer to the Father, through their love for us, the Holy Spirit - please read up on that. And you will come to understand why we feel about God the way we do. He is not a distant God, He is quite near us and available to us. But those who take His Name in vain. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Insulting God is a good way to break this bond of love between us and God. He will always reach out to you, but if you do not grasp his outstretched hand, you could lose Him, and whatever sense of beauty you have, will probably go with it.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
2008 rev 2013
This Reflection was published in 2013 on a website that was cancelled (for technical reasons), and then I forgot about it. The other day, I found a print-out of it. Eventually, I found it on my hard drive, and now I hope you will read it again. It'll be new to you. /fss