CITYHILL CHURCH ARTICLE
CREATED FOR US TO ENJOY
TEXT BY JAMES SIDDALL
CULTURE MAGAZINE ISSUE #37
Right from the very beginning, it is written, God created the
world to be enjoyed.
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and
there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the
ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food.” (Genesis 2: 8 - 10.)
Then – as we all know so well – came The Fall.
Yet even in this sinful, fallen world today, it’s abundantly
clear that creation was born to be relished.
Nature, for one, ranks among the greatest gifts God has
given us.
“The heavens declare the glory of God/And the firmament
shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 10: 1)
William Wordsworth, meanwhile, encapsulates nature
wonderfully in his poem, ‘It Is A Beauteous Evening’ :
“It is a beauteous evening, calm and free/The holy time is
quiet as a Nun/Breathless with adoration; the broad sun/
Is sinking down in its tranquility/The gentleness of heaven
broods o’er the Sea/Listen! The mighty being is awake.”
For some of us there’s little as celestial as the sight of a
sunrise. Most mornings I’m awake before dawn – partly the
legacy of an early bedtime – and in that hushed and sacred
hour before the sun broaches the horizon, the world is fresh
and new, pregnant with promise. It’s at times like these that
God seems very near indeed.
And while some may prefer the beach, for me creation is at
its most beautiful in the Drakensberg, which surely rates
as one of the most majestic, awe-inspiring parts of not just
South Africa but the world.
Does anything quite compare to the Berg on a summer’s
day, as you splash in a crystal-clear rock pool, surrounded by
moss-green hills and mountains as old as time?
For yet others the enjoyment of this world manifests in the
miracle of falling in love. Consider but the Song of Solomon,
a wedding song honouring marriage and the purity of love.
It’s an unashamedly sensual book this, and one of the more
lyrical in The Bible.
“Your neck is like an ivory tower/Your eyes like the pools in
Heshbon/By the gate of Bath Rabbim/Your nose is like the
tower of Lebanon/Which looks toward Damascus.” (Song
Of Solomon 7: 4)
Then there’s the joy of having children. Parents maintain
that this is the greatest blessing of all. I believe them – even
though I won’t have children of my own, preferring instead
to follow Paul’s advice on marriage. Sometimes I think that
knowing I will never marry and procreate, God instead sent
dogs to look after and love me.
Friends too are yet another manifestation of how God
created the world and all in it to be enjoyed. Consider but
the glowing warmth of enjoying fellowship after a church
service or in a home group.
For yet others enjoyment come from sport – playing it or
watching it. And often watching it with great animation
from the sidelines!
Then there are many of us who realise how surrounded we
are by the less fortunate. Most of us reading this have a roof
over our head, food in our fridges, and money – if only a little
at times - in our wallet or bank account.
That puts us in the top percentile globally. So in reaching out
to others with charity and love and The Word, we let them
know that The Creator has made this world for them to not
just be endured, but enjoyed too.