Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, February 24, 2010

God the Father, the supreme Architect, had already
built this cosmic home we behold, the most sacred
temple of His godhead, by the laws of His mysterious
wisdom.

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Italian philosopher &
scholar, born on this date, 1463, in Mirandola, near Modena


“….. by the laws of His Mysterious wisdom”. Now, there’s an interesting phrase! Sounds like a 15th C intuition of Darwin to me.

What is most interesting to me is the thought that the Earth/Creation is the “Home of God”. And that this Earth screams the Holy Presence of God. St. Paul thought so. He said clearly that no one, contemplating the Universe, could miss the Divine presence.

From an “anthropological” perspective, I agree. Right now, I can hear the music of Handel resounding in my head – “The heavens declare the glory of God”! For a very long time, I have equated our trashing of the environment with the spoiling of “God’s Body”.

God’s Wisdom is indeed “mysterious”. Bottom line, we know nothing about God – as the great mystics throughout the ages have said. Some of them even called God “Nothing”. But I have to confess that, apart from great Liturgy (rare as it is), I have experienced God most vividly in the stunning beauty of the Earth. Oh could I expatiate on those countless moments!! Above all things – except perhaps for wildly unselfish acts of love – “God” has been manifested in the extravagant beauty of the Earth.

Dennis and I watched the Ice Plant flowers unfold in the morning sun in our little garden the other day. I can honestly say, those flowers rank higher than any philosophy or theology.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Brian+