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The hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” assures us that as we look closer into the wonderful face of Jesus, the things of this earth “will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” However, as Philip Yancey notes in his editorial “A Whole Good World Outside,” the hymn gets one things wrong: faith in Christ should illuminate, not diminish, the beautiful world around us.
Yancey discusses how this world outside the church, played a crucial role in bringing him back to faith in God:
“I emerged from childhood with a distorted
image of God: a frowning Supercop looking to squash anyone who might be
having a good time. I have since come to know God as a whimsical artist
who fills the world with creatures like the porcupine and skunk and
warthog, who lavishes the world with wildflowers and tropical fish more
beautiful than any design on display in an art museum.“-Philip Yancey, “A Whole Good World Outside”
While the church provides an important community for believers, Yancey reminds us that we can also seek inspiration outside the church’s walls, in the natural world that surrounds us – whether it be in the magnificent order of DNA, or the majesty of the flowers in the field and the birds of the air.
Philip Yancey’s full editorial can be found on Christianity Today’s Web site.
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