Taking Care of God’s Creation: Embracing Beauty, Purpose, and Responsibility

Introduction

The beauty our world has to offer is unparalleled by any human attempt. The clouds fall around us in small droplets of life, seeping into the swaying trees and flowers, turning the world brilliant shades of green. The sunlight glistens on each blade of grass and leaf so that when we open our eyes, the darkness is broken into pieces like a stained glass window unfolding beyond our farthest imagination. In the light, we see a butterfly delicately fanning her wings, like a cape made of vivid colors.

She doesn’t require a crown to prove herself a royal in creation; she floats above all else, surveying the beauty in which she dwells. A sparrow cocks his head when he sees this wonder of light and color drifting on the wind, blooming in the radiance of freedom. He flies to join her, and they turn about each other as Chinese scarves flutter in a parade, dancing in the wind. The two are different and complimentary at the same time, imperfect but working together perfectly, just like all living things.

Body

Beauty as a Reflection of the Creator

Everything created, all that walks on the soil and flies in the air and glides through the waterworks to one design. Creation is formed to glorify the Creator in all its being through the life it is given. Nothing could be made in such precision without an author, for something so beautiful could not come from itself. And all that dwells on the Earth is cared for by the one who loves it most, the Father by which it has been composed. Man mirrors this love, as he has been constructed in God’s image and likeness. Unlike any other being in creation, man is able to participate in the light and power of the divine Spirit. It says in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 1704, “By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection ‘in seeking and loving what is true and good.’” The Creator has charged man with the care of His creation, and in fulfilling his duty, man finds goodness and truth. All this goodness and truth is to be found in the beauty the Creator reveals through His creation. There are so many mysteries to uncover, so much life to discover, and to think that all this lies in the smallest pupil of His eye, that he sees all that there is and was and is to come. When we see space, he sees purpose. When we judge darkness, he reveals light. He instituted all the depth we will never know and held it in His hand, never letting it fall beyond his grasp because this is where we all rest and where we should never be separated from him. This is the world he has made for us, with perfect generosity and the intention for our happiness.

Macroevolution's Falsehood: A Critical Examination

Heavenly Father, it’s only through the gospel of your grace we see and experience your beauty. Until grace breaks upon the horizon of our hearts, your loveliness remains veiled to us… by the darkness of our unbelief and the shadows of our idols, layers of bad teaching, and the busyness of our lives. But as the gospel does its work in our hearts, your splendor outshines the sun, your excellences stagger our imagination, and your kindness melts our hearts. We see your beauty in the things you’ve made, Father. Creation shouts your majesty, and sometimes it whispers to quiet our noisy hearts. Open our eyes wider. Grant us jaw-dropping wonder as we come more alive to your fingerprints everywhere… in the mountains of Peru and the playfulness of puppies, in the aroma of baking bread, and in your artwork with ever-changing clouds. Father, we also see your beauty in people—in every person. Though we’re all broken, yet as your image bearers, each of us reveals glimpses of your loveliness. Continue to heal how we see one another. Remove the cataracts on our souls and heal the astigmatism of our hearts. But we especially see your beauty in Jesus, Father. No one has ever seen you completely, but Jesus has made you known to us. In Jesus, we see the magnificence of your mercies and the grandeur of your grace, the wonders of your love, and the reach of your rule. We long for the Day when we’ll see the unfettered, unfiltered beauty of your face, for that will be our first Day in the new Heaven and new earth. Hasten that Day, Lord. Until then, we bless you for your commitment to make all things beautiful in their time, including us, Father.

There are three things we must understand in order to know the love and truth of the Creator: that the realistic approach to creation does not comply with the Big Bang theory, that the difference between Macro and Microevolution is not to be taken lightly, and that the world is composed in order to mirror God’s infinite beauty. The truth is that the world is made beautiful not by macroevolution but by God’s hand.
The realistic approach to creation does not comply with the Big Bang theory. There are many people who believe that there is no God, no Creator, no Caretaker. The media has fed us this idea and pushed us to fall into the comfort of believing in the Big Bang, enjoying the false contentment that follows in believing that there is nothing greater than ourselves, for we have been formed only by lesser beings. When Googling what the Big Bang theory is, this is the definition I was faced with: “The big bang theory is defined as the theory that the universe may have been created in a huge explosion at least 12 billion years ago, or is a successful comedy series created by Chuck Lorre in 2007 about four geeky scientists and a waitress neighbor.” Though the latter is an excellent form of entertainment, it definitely doesn’t pertain to the topic at hand. Yet even in this definition, we can sense some confusion, a thing the Big Bang community has no shortage of. Something I find amusing in my research of the Big Bang is that the theory changes and contradicts itself with every article I read going back through the years. For instance, an article published in 2011 by Space.com reads, “Our universe was born about 13.7 billion years ago in a massive expansion that blew space up like a gigantic balloon,” but a page updated this year on Big-Bang-Theory.com reads, “Experts, however, say that there was no explosion; there was (and continues to be) an expansion.” There is an evident conflict between these two sources, and it causes one to wonder: Why do so many people believe in a theory that has no stable foundation or agreement between members of its society?

Caring for God's Creation: Our Stewardship

Unlike the illogical “proofs” of the Big Bang theory, the First Mover theory brings a starkly different and reasonable view to the table. St. Thomas Aquinas came up with the notion that there must be a mover to begin all other movements since things do not begin moving on their own. Some things in the universe are in motion. You may be, your heart certainly is, the birds in the sky and the cars on the road are. But anything in motion must have been caused to move: nothing can move spontaneously without something else moving it. And the thing that moves another thing must itself be in motion. Every effect has a prior cause. We can trace movement and causes all the way back to the very beginning of creation, where we are left to wonder, what was already moving that could begin the movement which all movement derives from? The answer to this is God. God is the only being who exists outside space and time, the only “unmoved mover” known to man, and, thus, the one we believe has set the world into motion.

The difference between Macro and Microevolution is not to be taken lightly. There are two prime types of evolution. Macroevolution refers to major evolutionary change. The term applies mainly to the evolution of whole taxonomic groups over long periods of time. This title encompasses the most outstanding revolution in the evolution of species, especially the theory of homo sapiens and early human migration: the answer to “Where did man come from?” in this and many other cases, we mostly consider Macroevolution to be quite bogus as it is without any recurring proofs or evidence in history. Macroevolution only makes sense when the patterns of transformation are observed from a large-scale viewpoint focused on the changes happening in Earth's life over several thousand years.

As aforementioned, it is impossible to see macroevolution performed in history since there are no firsthand accounts at all nor any way to document this change. Since there is no visible evidence of macroevolution, the theorists have had to fabricate their own by using bits and pieces of geology, fossils, and living organisms. It is a game of grasping at straws in order to find very specific examples of variations within a species, but even these examples fall short because it is common knowledge that all species contain variation, even in major senses. Take, for instance, a person born with no foot, they are no less a person, and they are not adapting to their surroundings; this is merely a rare defect found within the human species. When we’ve assembled enough “evidence” to figure out what considerable evolutionary events have taken place, we try to deduce how they happened.

Embracing Beauty and Responsibility

A major contributor to the theory of macroevolution is Charles Darwin, an Englishman living in the late 19th century whose scientific theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies. Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers are all related. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic and rather undirected 'descent with modification.' That is, complex creatures, evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as 'natural selection.' These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate, and the result is an entirely different organism. Darwinism is the culminating theory of macroevolution.

Microevolution is the change that happens within a species over a short span of time. The term Microevolution pertains to the change in gene frequency within a population.
Microevolution refers to the change within a species or small group of living organisms, known especially over a short period of time. Evolution at this scale can be observed over short periods of time, offering easy and abundant access to evidence of these changes. A good example of this is when a population of crop pests increases due to the increased frequency of a gene for pesticide resistance. A change like this could come about by natural selection, by the population receiving new immigrants carrying the gene, because some nonresistant genes mutated to the resistant version, or because of random genetic drift from one generation to the next. But in every case, macroevolution is consistent in that the species is being bettered in order to become more resilient toward its changing circumstances and surroundings.

Microevolution, therefore, is consistent with God’s plan in that it fulfills what God intends for the life of the species, or “kind.” The Lord has a special meaning in mind for the word “kind.” It is used most prevalently in the Bible for creation. “Then God Said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so” (Genesis 1:11). God created life “according to its kind,” whether in the creatures of the sea or the birds of the air and the animals that rest on land. They are all created “according to its kind” (Genesis 1:21-24). The most beautiful and important thing in these passages is that each kind is designed to reproduce after its own kind, the offspring to resemble their parents, and so on and so forth, keeping their “kind” through the generations. Animals are created to be fertile and only mate with others of the same kind, keeping the age-old tradition of continuing their kind. Practically all that lives on the Earth reproduce consistently after their own kind. You won’t find oranges on apple trees, sheep birthed by cattle. There is, however, a freedom of variety that will show when successive generations are bred to exhibit certain traits, this is most commonly known by dog breeding. Clearly, microevolution contradicts neither the Creator, the Creation, nor science.

The world is composed in order to mirror God’s infinite beauty. The world is a most beautiful place, filled with life and brimming with color. God created the world with intricate concepts in mind, allowing for the balance and complement between species. He created each sort of being for a purpose, and when he was finished, he looked upon all his work, and the Bible says, “Indeed, it was very good.” This goodness is God’s intention for the world and how it is meant to work in harmony. The world extends in a continual state of renewal as the species are constant and morph only minimally to their surroundings as needed. It might be argued that this further satisfies their purpose, which is to glorify their maker because by growing and adapting to the challenges they are presented with, they are thriving on their own, a gift God gave all beings on Earth. The perfection of balance alone between all God’s creation proves his investment of time, and composition. Qualities that are incalculably valuable and complete necessitate no further arrangement as they were made in the beginning to stand the test of time. When God thought his creation good, it follows that no significant change needed to be made.

The world as it was meant to be has been spoiled, however, by man. Man rejected God’s love and chose a selfish path, eating the forbidden fruit in order to chase the false promise of being like his maker in knowledge and power. This action has left a mark, a separation from God, on each person’s soul since that first bite of sin was taken. Adam crucified Christ by bringing sin into this most perfect and beautiful world. And yet by death, Christ has brought us into life, for our God is a loving God; our God is one who gives all He has so that we might have life even when we have demolished any right to his love. We have forsaken him, and yet he still longs for us. Our Father wants nothing more than to hear our yes to his plea of love.

Each and every one of us endures the consequences of Adam’s sin, the Original Sin that we are all familiar with. But we also reap the grace of Christ’s death and resurrection, allowing us to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. This is due to the loving goodness of the Father, our good Father, who has not and will never abandon us to the throws of Satan and his darkness. Satan is known as the prince of this world, but Christ is the King. Our Father gives us more life and freedom than we could ever thank him for. Even though sin has defiled the original beauty of this world, it has not destroyed the world because God is greater than every evil the world presents. God is the First Mover, the Unmoved Mover, the Creator. Jesus Christ is our savior, coming from the Father with the Spirit to love all humanity for eternity. In this, we may rest peacefully, love abundantly, and take courage to fight for our God’s glory.

Everywhere we look, we have the opportunity to observe beauty, for beauty is not in the items beheld but in the outlook of one who beholds them. The reason our world is so beautiful is that it is created in the eye of the One who, above all else, is the essence of love in perspective. The creation of the world, in whatever manner it happened, was initiated and secured by the Father. As a First Mover, the Father would initiate his creation with every care of his capability, sheltering and supporting her as she continues to grow and progress in complexity. As a careful Creator, he would be most willful in forming his creation in a venerable and respectful manner, as a lover would fondly protect his beloved. The creation of the world, in whatever manner it happened, was established and secured by the Father.

Conclusion

The beauty we behold is intentional and renewed by the nature of God’s plan. History recurs and sustains itself, reinforcing its strength after periods of weakness. Only adaptive evolution is necessary to assist the continuation of life through the ages, with species adapting and improving in order to accomplish their purpose ever more fully. Microevolution is consistent with God’s plan as it is the betterment of His creation in the continual balance of life on Earth. Contrary to God’s plan and having no proof to support it, major forms of evolution and Darwinism are theories plain and simple. Macroevolution is merely an illogical ploy to weaken our belief in God the Creator. The world will continue to be made of beauty even until the final days when havoc has been wreaked within humanity, and each race and kind of person will be pitted against each other ending in a battle of Good and Evil. Even until this last day of destruction, beauty will endure. Because no matter how corrupt our kind becomes, no matter how destructive our leaders and how distraught our society is, nothing has the power to hinder Christ our Savior, who reigns as the defender of all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Intentional and renewed, beauty isn’t the image and likeness of God; it is a pure element of Him. Beauty springs from the precious and true ore of God’s love. This is why man is the epitome of beauty on Earth; man is made in the image and likeness of God, infused with the essence of virtue, and animated with the ability to love. Unlike any other creature that dwells in this realm of time, man is unique in his capacity for love. It is reasonable, then, to see how man is the most beautiful creation standing apart from all others because not only is man given the skill of love, but he is, most importantly, given a purpose to use it for. Man’s purpose is to know, love, and serve God in this life so that we can be happy with Him in Heaven. In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. We all are familiar with this verse and the many that follow it, but we forget a part of the story down the line. After God creates the heavens and earth and all the seas and land, the creatures that swim, fly, and crawl . . . he creates man. And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” We forget this. We forget that we have been given a responsibility to care for God’s creation. We are intended to work together with all that God has made for us and to care for it as He has made it to be cared for. What is more important than debating evolution is recognizing that it doesn’t matter where this all came from; what matters is that we love it and care for it as faithful servants of God. Our Creator, our Redeemer, our Father.

References

1. "The Book of Creation: The Practice of God's Presence from the Hebrew Bible to the New Testament" by Norman Habel
2. "The Creation of the World: A Cosmology of the Divine" by Gerard P. Luttikhuizen
3. "The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate" by John H. Walton
4. "The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Latest Scientific Discoveries Reveal God" by Hugh Ross
5. "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" by Francis S. Collins
6. "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis

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