Creation: God's First Sacrament

I received a contact on my facebook from a guy I went to grammar school with. We were best friends in fifth and sixth grade, but I haven’t heard from him in ….. never mind; it was a long time ago.

At any rate, my old friend was surprised by the fact that I’m Catholic and work for the Archdiocese of Denver. His question to me was intriguing: “Did you find some of your spiritualism in nature?” “Spiritualism” I thought, “that’s an interesting word.” I don’t know what he meant by it, but it did prompt me to think about the connection between God, or that mysterious Other that people can’t or won’t name, and nature and evangelization.

I work at the John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization. From my office I can see the snow covered Rockies from Pike’s Peak to Mt. Evans. It’s really incredible and one of the things that makes being Catholic in the Archdiocese of Denver so special. The connection between God’s goodness revealed in nature and the work we do here is always right there in front of you. You can’t miss it.

For many people, nature is their first contact with God. Sometimes it’s their only contact. For some, nature is God. Be that as it may, nature is the first announcement of the Gospel whether they recognize it or not, for most people can’t help but feel the inherent goodness in it. Nature has a transcendent quality that points to something beyond itself, and most people sense that.

Nature has always spoken to me of something, or Someone, beyond it. Maybe it’s because nature makes me feel so small and vulnerable. Here in Colorado, that sense of smallness is especially noticeable when you're working your way up a 14er struggling for oxygen. The feelings I had when I went to church as a kid were not that much different from the one's I had when I was playing outside or fishing with my dad in the Sierras.

Those feelings haven’t changed much over the years. The vast panoramas and huge skies from the summit of a mountain speak of God’s magnificence. The afternoon thunderstorms that appear suddenly out of nowhere or a raging forest fire remind you of God’s power and unpredictability; the clear-flowing streams of His life-giving spirit.

Creation makes the infinite, invisible, transcendent God present so that we can know Him. Creation is not God, of course, but it points to Him and reveals His glory. As Scripture says, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork!” (Psalm 19:1).

The Church Fathers often spoke of creation as God’s first sacrament. It’s the perfect word. It’s not a word you hear everyday either. It’s a uniquely Catholic word. The Church Fathers also talked about two “books” that God uses to teach us about Himself: the Bible and the ‘book’ of nature. Today, when most people are so conscious about the environment, nature can be an effective ‘springboard’ to start talking about God.

My old friend from grammar school, who is a very accomplished artist said, “I have found nature to be such a great teacher about light and color, and dynamic change, that I imagine you'd find things there as well to contemplate in your line of work.” He’s got that right. You can see his work here: http://billcone.blogspot.com/