Behold

Humans are fascinated about the possibility of life on other planets. Countless science fiction stories, movies, and TV shows have imagined what life forms from other worlds might look like, from “little green men” to creatures with two heads to jellyfish-like beings.

Why do you suppose we are so intrigued by the possibility of fantastic life forms from outer space when our own planet is teeming with an incredible array of life to spark our imagination? For example, what would it be like to drink water over our entire body, as a lichen does? What if we could evade threats by pretending to be a rock, as Lithops plants do? How would it feel to be a Wolffia, the world’s smallest flowering plant, which is so tiny that two adults can fit inside the letter “o”?

Given the marvels of life on earth, you would think we would be living in a perpetual state of awe. Somehow, however, in the transition to adulthood, we lose the wonder and curiosity of children, for whom everything is new and exciting. Yet, doesn’t God say in scripture, “Behold, I am making all things new”?

In some families, everyone who comes to the dinner table must relay something new that they learned that day. Perhaps we could adopt this practice to ensure that we take time each day to behold the wonders of God’s creation. As Shug Avery says in the book The Color Purple, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”