Eye of the Beholder

It wasn’t too long ago that I put stock in a 6-day literal creation of the earth. That is to say that I believed that the earth basically matched a literal biblical timeline. Many dedicated and committed Christians hold to this worldview today, even in the face of evidence that points to a universe that is billions of years old. I won’t share the reasons why I find this view lacking, or to jab at my Young Earth Creationist brothers and sisters. Rather, I want to explore an alternative story in which we find ourselves that also traces origins back to a singular moment in time.

I believe that the earth is billions of years old and that it came to be the way it is today through the process of evolution. That is, I believe in a creation narrative that unfolded over billions of years, and continues to this day. This story also includes the development of human beings upon whom self-consciousness (the Imago Dei) was bestowed.

In my opinion, the young earth narrative falls short of the surpassingly great glory that God should receive. In itself, the Young Earth theory can be beautiful, as God uniquely created the earth ex nilho and made humankind in his own image as caretakers of the planet. Humans were to tend to the earth and ensure that it’s beauty was cultivated, while God “walked” among them and paradise was experienced firsthand. Rules and regulations were established to guide humankind through a blissful existence over perpetual generations (which includes immortality). The entire process was basically instantaneous (24 hour blocks) and perfection was immediate (and ironically flipped to entropy after the first sin). A young earth creation can be inspiring and provides a truly breathtaking account of a created world without disease, relational dysfunction, pain, and life-threatening problems. It is admirable. I simply don’t find it tenable.

In circles of those who hold to a young earth, the theory of evolution has been downplayed and outright dismissed as heresy. I understand why this dismissal occurs, but it’s difficult to reconcile how it is dismissed, when the consensus of human knowledge builds an exciting case for an earth that is constantly undergoing redevelopment - over billions of years. Young earth opponents often paint evolution Theory as an ugly, vicious lie that underscores the authority of the bible and casts the image of a malevolent God. Again, I disagree.

In fact, I think evolution can provide us with a beautiful narrative. A story that neither diminishes the trustworthiness of the Scriptures or portrays God as an incompetent Being.

Embedded Beauty
Beauty is intrinsic in nature. Yes, there are imperfections, but since our culture is so obsessed with perfection -- and ironically never reaches the ideal of perfection -- we often sell short the beauty that is in our midst. Beauty is also developed - often at a painstakingly slow pace. The development of a human being takes 40 weeks, and when he or she is born, the process continues to grow as the baby develops into a fully blossomed adult. It takes time for canola fields to bloom, for an artist to paint a masterpiece, for a songwriter to pen a moving song. Yes, often these artistic endeavours can take a shorter period of time, but we must remember that the artist has been undergoing a lengthy development that led them to the point where they were able to sketch, paint or pen their work “quicker”. There is an undercurrent we often miss when we assume that beautiful is instantaneous.

The same can be said of God’s act of creation. Is it truly more beautiful that God created the entire universe in six days, or is it simply that we are interested in projecting human power structures onto God? If God created everything in six days, it stands to reason that most of what we see is independent of each other. The sun, moon, stars, earth, waters, sky - they were created independently and are not necessarily “connected” to each other. Humankind was then created from earthy materials, but didn’t grow alongside of the created order. They were not part of the brothy soup that emerged over billions of years.

The thought of all that exists coming from a singularity - from which God spoke it into existence -- is a beautiful endeavour on many levels. It shows us that God is patient and is in no rush. He let everything develop and ENJOYED EVERY STAGE of it. Imagine watching what you created evolve and change over billions of years, producing new creatures and environments. It is also beautiful that everything that we see is connected - it grows and changes over time, but is all made of the same matter. We are connected to the earth, the waters, the trees, the bees, whales and sky. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Brother Moon…” We are also connected to every human being. They are our brothers and sisters. We cannot look at humans or creation as objects to dominate and destroy, but as kin to cherish and love. If we trace ourselves back to the big bang (God speaking), we recognize that we’re all in this together.

Colossians tells us that Christ (the cosmic Christ) “is all” and “is in all”. The great creator and sustainer of life. The energy that flows through the universe. The energy that is Spirit. The Spirit is all and is in all. Not everyone recognizes this, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t sustained by God. The God of beauty who birthed this world to let it become what it would delights in its every change and turn - perhaps like a parent delights to see a child develop, mature and blossom.

Young earth creationism doesn’t denigrate beauty. But neither does evolution. What evolution does better, in my opinion, is demonstrate that our God is patient and that he delights in what he has made. It also provides us a better framework for understanding our connectedness to each other and to the omnipresent God who sustains not only each human life, but empowers the entire cosmos to live, move and have being. And that, is beautiful, at least in the eye of this humble beholder.