“…Man was created to be a spectator of this formed world, and [his] eyes were given him, that he might, by looking on so beautiful a picture, be led up to the Author himself.” – John Calvin (Commentary on Romans)
Yes, it has been a while—in fact, nearly two months since 12 Passages for Parents has seen a new post. The thoughts have never ceased to flow, but writing time was nearly impossible to capture. I have been in the country managing the construction of our farmhouse and enjoying all the wonderful things that accompany life in rural America.
For the past two years, I have spent much of my time at this place we affectionately call The Farm. My parents had a vision for their family (my brother and me) and purchased the 155 acres as a healthy playground for Schuermann generations to come. For many months, we have been creating a farmhouse, a place on the land for friends and family to gather. After much planning, drawing and redrawing of plans, and surviving the long construction process, the farmhouse is nearly finished.
The big back porch is one of my favorite spaces and always invites me to contemplation, reflection and prayer. If I were a poet, this would be the place to write verse. Having recently listened to John MacArthur’s teaching on prayer, I chose to take some time to pray on the porch during a lunch break.
My prayer time was cut short by a hummingbird who came buzzing up to our feeder. He startled me and my instinct was to duck. He sounded like a giant wasp as he hovered, moved forward and back, and from side to side. He landed and drank for a few seconds and then zoomed off into the woods.
Those little winged wonders flutter their wings at a remarkable 60-80 times per second. Their wings do not flap—they rotate in a figure 8, which makes it even more remarkable. This movement enables them to go backwards and to hover in one spot. And, their hearts beat about 1200 beats per minute. They are miraculous mini-machines.
We see evidence of a creator God every day, no matter where we are. But the country brings that evidence boldly to us each and every minute. When you have children or grandchildren, many wonders can be observed from dawn to dusk. Vultures and hawks and an occasional eagle patrol the skies. Songbirds fill the woods. At twilight, a barred owl silently glides through the trees, coyotes yip in the distance, and a young deer may romp through the front yard.
A few days ago, several of our grandchildren were at The Farm. One of their uncles scooped up a giant caterpillar and put it in an empty water bottle to show the kids. It was the largest, fattest caterpillar any of us had ever seen.
During the day, they watched it, intending to return it to the outdoors that evening. But we noticed the caterpillar had been busy. A fine, intricate web of silk was forming inside the water bottle. Not wanting to disturb it, we left it overnight.
The next morning, the caterpillar was completely encased in a cocoon inside the bottle. Research led us to learn that our fat caterpillar will stay encased in the cocoon until June when it will emerge as a 4 inch Luna Moth. (So, to prepare for his emergence, we cut off the bottom of the bottle. A giant moth will need a way out.)
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. –Romans 1:19 (ESV)
“…Man was created to be a spectator of this formed world, and [his] eyes were given him, that he might, by looking on so beautiful a picture, be led up to the Author himself.” – John Calvin (Commentary on Romans)
Sadly, rather than being led to the Author himself, many are committed to a belief system called evolutionism. According to evolutionism, thousands of miraculous and improbable chemical accidents are the “author” that created life from non-life and then created all of the diverse and wonderful plants and animals my grandchildren and I observe, including creatures with spectacular abilities, such as flight.
What would cause men and women to be so committed to this belief system which works only in their imagination and is routinely contradicted by data?
In 1981, Dr. Colin Patterson, Senior Principal Scientific Officer in the Paleontology Department at the British Museum of Natural History, dropped a bombshell when speaking to leading evolutionists at the American Museum of Natural History. He compared amino acid sequences in several proteins of different animals. The relationships of these animals, according to evolutionary theory, had been taught in classrooms for decades.
Patterson explained to a stunned audience that new information contradicted the theory of evolution. In his words, “The theory makes a prediction; we’ve tested it, and the prediction is falsified precisely.”
Although he acknowledged that scientific falsification is never absolute, he admitted, “evolution was a faith,” and he was “duped into taking evolutionism as revealed truth in some way,” and “evolution not only conveys no knowledge but seems somehow to convey anti-knowledge, apparent knowledge which is harmful to systematics [the science of classifying different forms of life].”
[Citation: “Prominent British Scientist Challenges Evolution Theory,” Audio Tape Transcription and Summary by Luther D. Sunderland, For other statements from Patterson’s presentation, see Tom Bethell, “Agnostic Evolutionists,” Harper’s Magazine, February 1985, pp. 49–61.]
For many who dismiss the idea of a creator, the theory of evolution becomes a faith, determining their life views. But, people’s views can change. An internet search, “evolutionist to creationist,” will result in many examples of scientists who have rejected the theory of evolution and now believe in creation. One example is biologist Gary Parker. His interview can be found here.
The simplest question you or your child would ask when encountering something of beauty in our world is,
“Where did it come from?”
Build on your child’s natural curiosity. Nature Walks, zoo trips, fishing excursions to a local pond, observing bugs, even a purchased ant farm can provide rich opportunities to talk about our created world and the “author” of creation.
The following resources are excellent for your own reading as well as information to share with your children.