The Northern Lights and appreciation of God’s creative power

The evening of Nov. 11, I saw something in the sky I’ve only seen a couple times before: the northern lights. And that night, they were the brightest of the now three times I’ve viewed them. I looked up in wonder at that gentle red glow and offered a thank you to the Lord for sharing such a beautiful sight with us here in Ohio.

Our state is far south of the part of the northern hemisphere where auroras are frequently visible, so they are rare here. It takes quite a solar storm from the sun to push those red, yellow, green, blue and purple glows this far. It’s reported on the news that when the northern lights are seen this far south, there can also be disruptions in technology.

Understanding that, though, I still find the northern lights delightful. God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth – the entire universe – has filled His creation with many wonders that, if we are predisposed to doing so, can draw our minds and hearts toward the Lord.

Let’s do that – place our minds and hearts into that predisposition that gives us the ability to be in wonder and appreciation of God and the work of His hands.

We start by affirming that God created everything and everyone: “‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. The profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God the Father almighty is ‘Creator of heaven and earth … of all that is, seen and unseen … (CCC 279).”

Creation is not a haphazard event or the result of sheer luck. No, creation is God’s will, an act of profound love by Him. God brings all things into existence out of nothing. “God created freely out of love (CCC 295).” Even though God needs nothing, He still brought us into existence so that we can share in His creative generosity.

“God saw that it was good (Gn 1:18).” The next step is trusting this. Creation is a sign of the Lord’s wisdom and love. The goodness of creation includes both the visible – the world and universe beyond that we can see – and the invisible – the world of the spiritual. Through the glory of all creation, such as the northern lights, we see glimpses of God’s own infinite glory.

“God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them male and female he created them (Gn 1:27).” As a result, humanity holds a special place in creation. Nothing else was made in God’s likeness and image, and every person has an immortal soul, reason and freedom. Such qualities reflect God Himself. Humanity is not merely part of material existence. We are also spiritual beings called to communion with the Lord.

Also, God’s creative activity did not end with the beginning of the universe. The Church teaches that God continues to sustain and govern creation through His wisdom. “The truth that God is at work in all the actions of his creatures is inseparable from faith in God the Creator. God is the first cause who operates in and through secondary causes: ‘For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good … (CCC 308).’”

This teaching invites trust in God and an understanding that our lives are not subject to fate or happenstance. We are all held in the loving embrace of God the Father, the Creator. “We firmly believe that God is master of the world and of its history (CCC 314).”

Lastly, creation was the first step in God’s plan, which reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the new creation. “Conversely, the mystery of Christ casts conclusive light on the mystery of creation and reveals the end for which ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’: from the beginning, God envisaged the glory of the new creation in Christ (CCC 280).” The universe was made through God’s Word: “Let there be … ” Each time God spoke those words, more and more came into being. And through God s Word made flesh, all is renewed and all of us are renewed along with it through our active participation in the life of faith. All of this is that disposition of trust and faith I spoke of before. God’s glory transforms and perfects creation.

Whether it’s a tall mountain, a deep canyon, a cute little animal bounding about, a butterfly gently waving its wings as it rests on a leaf or the northern lights painting the night sky, let such things draw your mind toward the Lord and inspire you to say, “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth.” Let creation and your prayer draw you closer to Him, and may you walk in His path, seeing that it is good.

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