If I go to Banff and am in awe of the mountains and the beauty of it all stimulates my soul, what benefit is that to my survival?
Logically, one could argue that maybe the beauty we perceive in our surroundings is meant to point us towards a food source. Say we're in awe standing at the foot of a giant tree. Obviously, for that tree to sustain such incredible growth, not only does there have to be an abundance of nutrients available, but also the climate and weather have to be favorable and somewhat relatively peaceful to allow long term growth without impediments due to weather damage or breakage of limbs, and so on. So in being in the area near that tree, theoretically, we'd have food and perhaps a lessened exposure to potential elements.
But what about mountains? The higher the mountain, the greater it seems is the stimulation to our soul. But there's no food up there. The elements are wicked and unforgiving. Really, there is even barely any air up there. So what benefit does it serve us to see the beauty and be moved deep inside our soul by a mountain?
In a sermon I heard a while ago, the pastor (Tyler Jones) said that we are in awe of mountains and of natural wonders because they are doing what they were created to do. In doing what one is created for, it becomes worship and to witness true worship moves our soul.
What if God gave us the choice to seek Him or not, but knowing we aren't the most spiritually aware, He threw in some soul-stirring amazings just to get even the most oblivious among us wondering if there is something more than just us?
Another example is the desert. So many people take trips to the desert and take the most awesome pictures of the dunes (or whatever they're called), and the shapes and structures formed by the sand as the sunlight spills strategically over them. But the desert is no place to be if one's goal is survival.
Maybe by having our soul stirred by beauty we become happier people which therefore makes us more likely to survive.
I've had a rough few months and in driving down to North Carolina on a whim for my birthday, my soul was regenerated and my spirit was renewed. Yes, I realize that's redundant, but really, both happened. :D I came back home more motivated, more determined and significantly more content. Obviously, the combination is perfect for survival. The stimulation made me stronger and changed my attitude, so yes, in this context, beauty does lead to an increased survivability.
But if there is a God, is it not possible that He created both the beauty and the human ability to perceive it for just that purpose- for renewing us and giving us strength we otherwise would not have found?
While in North Carolina, I took my dogs on a hike to Crabtree Falls. There, I sat them in front of the falls, facing the falls directly while I took their picture. Did they grasp what was going on? Did they look at the falls and realize what they were witnessing?
I wonder whether my dogs believe in God or not. Sometimes, I think humans were given the choice and dogs weren't and therefore, dogs just innately believe. I have been with a few dogs as they died and none of them ever seemed scared of their imminent death. Without God, how can an animal, whom we see as not being particularly aware of the reasoning behind the goings on around them, not be afraid? How can they be ok with dying if they don't know what's going on nor do they know there is a God? How can they even know they're dying? How does an animal figure that out? It's not like they've died before and know the feeling... Right?
If dogs innately know there is a God who created them, do they need to feel beauty? Or do they just walk through life with that feeling constantly because they always know God? Is that why they can love us so unconditionally and why they're always ready for joy? Is it why they never complain about headaches and don't care about money or things? Do they know deep in their soul that there is something far more important than the selfishness of the human pursuit of happiness?
Sure, they may just be dogs, simple-minded and oblivious to the world. Or they may be God's creations to show us the choice we made in the Garden of Eden. We chose this life of independence and in consequence, chose our ups and downs. No doubt dogs and all other living beings around us have ups and downs, but the attitude with which they approach them seems so different than ours. For every up and every down we face, we are overwhelmed with choices, all of which point to our independence as an individual.
Without that independence, would we only have the one choice? Would we only have God?
What does it say about us that that's not enough?
If you think about it, I'm not just talking about Adam and Eve here. Every day, we choose hundreds of things over God. We idolize things, we destroy things, we hurt people. We allow our worst and most selfish faculties to reign over our decisions constantly.
So really, what does it say about us that God is never enough?
Would you give up your ability to perceive beauty if it meant you would always know God?
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