A few weeks ago we spent a warm sunny Sunday evening at Temple Square here in Salt Lake City. I love flowers; they are among the things, along with music, sunsets, the sweetness of little girls and the laughter and pure joie de vivre of young boys, that make me believe in a benevolent God.
I know evolutionary biologists have explanations for flowers and colors: how plants developed all colors as a survival mechanism, to give them distinction and advantage in a quest for the love of bees and other necessaries; how our eyes learned to register different frequencies of light as color because it gave us survival possibilities not present in those with out such a blessing; how all of this is the logical result of an all-consuming survival imperative in competition for limited resources. Perhaps; but I see God in the fact that such a brutal, chaotic system can produce such magnificent beauty and order. For me, as it was for Einstein, it is this inexplicable yin from the yang of chaos that testifies of divinity.
When I think that the survivable sphere of our existence is perhaps five or six miles from top to bottom; that above it there is nothing but killer cold and life sucking vacuum, and below it only unsurvivable heat and crushing force; that we just happen to be the perfect distance from life-giving light and heat so that we do not fry or freeze; and that in all the vastness of the universe, this less than microscopic little space prevails against gravity (or its absence) and other gargantuan forces that threaten to rip it apart, I am in awe. 
That it produces the miracles of flowers and beautiful girls is beyond comprehension, and proof enough of God for me. I think no other explanation possible.
So here is to the flowers, and all they stand for. Some say in heaven the streets are paved with gold. I don't know about that, but I think the air is filled with music and the laughter of boys, there are flowers as far as the eye can see . . .
and the sky is always in sunset.
3 comments:
Having worked in an evolutionary biology lab, I have had to reconcile scientific theory with my faith. I have had many of the same thoughts about the wonderous beauties of the world as well as (believe it or not) physiology and anatomy. It seems insanity to me that chaos could breed such perfection without the hand of a creator. If entropy and natural selection are the only things at work to cause evolution, then how in the world coud such wonders exist in such pristine order? I believe our Heavenly Father works via scientific mechanisms to bring about his miracles, but there is obviously a higher power that cannot simply be explained away with Darwinism.
You are an amazing writer and photographer Brett! I just love checking your blog to see what beautiful things you have posted. Having raised three beautiful girls, I too see divinity on a daily basis, both in them and the world around us.
I recently started writing about when I see the hand of God in my life as Elder Eyring suggested in a conference talk a while ago. I couldn't help but write about the many times I have been overcome with God's love while outside enjoying His creations. As you mentioned Einstein, he was an incredible scientists that once was an athiest but after so much study he said he could no longer deny the existence of a higher power. At first glance science seems to be at odds with faith. So many people mention that they have to reconcile the two. For me, they compliment each other in such a beautiful way.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, gorgeous children and breathtaking photography.
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