Treasure

Is in the eye of the beholder ...

When I was little I was always collecting ‘treasure’: things I would find on walks on the farm, in the forest or on the beach. Acorns, pebbles, pinecones, shells, leaves, flowers - anything that caught my eye and looked interesting or beautiful. Now and then I would find ‘special treasure’: an eggshell, a snake skin, a fossil, a skull or an abandoned nest. Like a magpie I would take my treasure home and lay it out on display on the chest of drawers in my bedroom, which became my ‘museum’.

I have yet to grow out of this treasure-hunting instinct. I raised my children to be little magpies too, and we have a special ‘museum’ display cabinet full of treasure, as well as other items displayed around the house and garden. Why do I still delight in collecting ‘treasure’? I am fascinated by the endless beauty and complexity I find in nature. God’s creation is full of great wonder, intricate design and astonishing detail. What I find particularly incredible is just how extravagant and even seemingly pointless some of this is! You may find evolutionary biologists who tell you I am wrong and that every tiny detail holds some evolutionary advantage which can explain how it came to be. To me this is a woefully inadequate explanation, as many scientists would acknowledge.

On a recent walk I gathered a few bits of ‘treasure’ which you can see in the photo below. A flower, some ripening berries, a twig adorned with lichen, a grass seed-head and a feather. Each of them I chose because they caught my eye; they had something I saw as beautiful and I wanted to feel them in my hands and look at them more closely. A little collection of wonder and endless questions. Why is the flower yellow and not orange? Why does it have five petals rather than six or four? What a strange creature lichen is, and why does it grow on a twig? Why do the grasses have so many different forms, and catch the light and the breeze so beautifully? Why do the berries change colour as they ripen? Why are they oval-shaped and not round? Why is the feather so soft and why is each one unique?

So many questions! There may be many answers, which may lead to many more questions, but there is one answer to every such question: because God said so. God created every living thing. In the creation story in Genesis we read that he literally spoke life into being. God made these stunning miracles of life in all their complexity, diversity and abundance, reflecting the glory of his majesty. So we should gasp in awe and wonder when we take the time to look at them, just like little children do. We should praise the wonderful Creator who not only brings into being and sustains every thing on this earth, but also made each one of us in his own image. We are the ultimate miracles of creation and the ultimate treasure, valued by God more than we can ever comprehend.

So, next time you go for a walk or potter in the garden or visit a park, keep an eye out for a piece of treasure and have a closer look. Be amazed, and thank God for it!