What I Learned About The Creator From Mount McKinley

Mount McKinley

As I blogged a few days ago, you can’t truly come to know God in nature, only through Jesus.

But you can learn some things about God the creator from his creation.

Yesterday, I awoke to a stunning view of the largest mountain in North America–Mount McKinley (Denali). Knowing God created Mount McKinley, I asked myself what I could learn about Him from looking at this part of His creation.

God expresses His creativity within form. His creation is not entirely subjective like abstract art. It doesn’t mean whatever you want it to mean. Instead, it clearly speaks of two objective facts: His eternal power and His divine nature. (Rom. 1:20).

All the mountains surrounding Mount McKinley have the same form. They all have a base, a peak and ridges. This provides an objectivity, a point of reference, a structure.

But within that form, there is freedom, diversity, creativity. The base, peaks and ridges are of different shapes and sizes. No two look exactly the same. The sun reflects differently off of each ridge because of their shape and size, creating a palate of black, white and grays. There is form and there is freedom.

This pattern extends beyond nature. God told Adam and Eve they could eat from any tree in the garden (freedom), except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (form). (Gen. 2:16-17).

If God was all form and no freedom, we would call him a boring Nazi; if He was all freedom and no form, we would call him a self-indulgent, anarchist. As I learned from Mount McKinley, He is neither. GS

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