God could have made the world all black and white and gray. Colors are helpful in ways to us, but not essential. It seems that we learn much about God from the playfulness and beauty of creation. CS Lewis says that simple pleasures which we see in nature are "shafts of glory." He goes further to offer these thoughts on our adoration of God: "We - or at least I - shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. At best, our faith and reason will tell us that He is adorable, but we shall not have found Him so, not have 'tasted and seen.' Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are 'patches of Godlight' in the woods of our experience." If not that we would know and understand Him better, if not that we enter into the beauty of life with Him, why would God give us blue skies and tulips and touch and music?

Why Flowers (April 25, 1995)

i well can understand why God would give us bread and water,
why He would give us coats to keep us warm,
i well can understand why, from some sense of obligation,
He would give us shelter from the storm....

but why the many colors
that fill our eyes with wonder,
why the sounds of music
that stir our hearts to tears,
unless He is a happy God
full of joy and full of beauty
why seasons, why sunsets, why flowers?

i well can understand why He would give us hands for labor,
why He would give us means to make our way,
i well can understand why He'd suit us for survival,
but why the part within us made for play?

i well can understand why He'd give us light and shadow,
we'd do just fine with different shades of gray,
i well can understand why He would give unto us vision,
but why the hundred greens of springtime day?

but why the many colors
that fill our eyes with wonder,
why the sounds of music
that stir our hearts to tears,
unless He is a happy God
full of joy and full of beauty,
why laughter, why kisses, why children,
why seasons, why sunsets, why flowers?

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