May 28th Weekly Word
What a Manatee Teaches us about God
“Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures" (Genesis 1:20).
I took the photo above years ago while visiting Blue Springs. We saw quite a few manatees that day. I love these slow, gentle giants of the sea — their movements ponderous yet somehow also graceful.
But, of course, the manatee is just one species of many that dwells in the waters on earth. Beyond them, over 300,000 others have been identified if you include the different kinds of fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, plants, algae, and microorganisms. And those are only the ones that we know of; there could be as many as ten times that number.
It's mind blowing to ponder such things when we read in Genesis that God spoke into existence all the living creatures in the water (and in all the world for that matter). This is the creativity of our God who displays a bit of who he is through the diversity of every creature he made. Romans 1 tells us as much: "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made."
You see, God's creation points to God. It's why we should never take for granted what surrounds us. If we have eyes to see, the trees and the manatees and everything in between tell us something about the divine.
So what might a manatee teach us about God? What comes to mind for me is God's patience, and the fact that he is never in a hurry. I don't know about you, but that's something that really speaks to my heart because it's the opposite of our society. Just hop on the freeway and do the speed limit to see the truth in this. What you'll find are people riding your tail, flying by you in a huff, honking, flashing their lights or signaling their displeasure by other means (or gestures). The truth is we are a rushed people even if nothing is pressing.
But that's not the case with the manatee. This lumbering beast meanders from one algae covered rock to another, rolling along restfully without, it seems, a worry in the world. And that reflects its unworried, unhurried Creator.
Jesus further confirms this. As the one who Paul tells us is the image of the invisible God, Jesus showcases for us who the Father is. And what do we find with him in the Gospels? A man on a mission? Yes. But never, not once, do we see him in a hurry even when it seems he should be.
He pauses to heal a woman with an issue of blood while on the way to heal a synagogue leader's daughter, who happens to be on the brink of death. And this delay kept him from arriving before she died. The same thing happened with Lazarus when Jesus intentionally stalled his arrival. In both cases, his unhurried disposition led to more glory for God as Jesus raised them both from the dead.
Friends, this characteristic of God is important for us to consider. But one of the ways to apprehend it, as well as his other attributes, is by observing his creation. Stopping to admire the beauty of God's world is part of what it means to think theologically. Let's remember then to look around and allow the wonder of all that God has made to reveal the wonder of who he is.
Darin+