Blessed Diversity

While waiting in the airport for a flight south a week ago I picked up the latest National Geographic magazine which included two very good articles about Charles Darwin and the lasting impact of his research conducted during the nineteenth century. While Darwin is often regarded with suspicion by Christian fundamentalists, I appreciated the discussion of his work which opened the door to a more sophisticated understanding of the complexity and diversity of the natural order. When he was aboard the ship Beagle he was actually an indifferent theology student rather than an official biologist. While Darwin "lost" his faith, I do believe in a Creator God, although that view of creation is open to an evolutionary process that continues to unfold.

We were aware of this diversity as we walked the beach in front of our resort each morning, looking for treasures. There is a photo above taken looking down through the water at shells which accumulated on one of the coconut shells which wash up everywhere. Of course the shells and bits of coral are the skeletal remains of creatures which were once alive.

We wish we had taken a waterproof camera to capture images when we went out on a boat to the coral reef. For an hour we bobbed in the warm waters with our masks and snorkels watching the thousands of fish of every shape and colour. They swim in a magnificent forest of coral in a reef which is one of the largest in the world. It is one of the wonders of the world and of creation and Creator.

The photos include a sunrise, beach stuff, and -don't hate us- the view from our balcony to the water. Click on them for a full-screen view. Those are our towels saving the beach chairs. Oh yes -- we had a ridiculously good vacation.