Today while visiting my dad in Houston I found myself unexpectedly drawn into a special exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science. At first I thought it was just a bunch of dead animals and insect specimens creatively arranged in shadow box frames but then as I took the time to really look and read the artist's thoughts, it became a profound and inspiring experience.
Entitled "Biophilia", which I learned means "love of life", the intent of the artist's exhibit was to instill a renewed way of seeing the beauty of nature and creation. However, it also inspired me to see life again as more than just an automatic repetition of the daily routine. I'm so thankful for a good God and Creator who gives us ways to rise above the mundane or entanglements of living to renew our love of life like getting outdoors and breathing in the fresh air of a hike in the mountains, soaking in the sunset after a rain in the desert, looking at the stars in a clear vast night sky, or going for a walk in the local park with a river and deer grazing nearby. Even more, just a quick search in the Word for verses containing the words "love" and "life" on BibleGateway.com brings up some great reminders. I hope they encourage you.
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord you God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life... Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life... Psalm 23:6
By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8
Following are some of the quotes and displays from Biophilia:
(Click on photos to see more closely.)
"In the modern era...We not only divorce art and science but have put them so often at odds that they seem to speak completely different languages...Yet, by minimizing natural history's comparability with art we not only disparage the very impetus that birthed the artistic impulse, but also underestimate natural beauty's role in inspiring scientific discovery."
- Artist Christopher Marley, Biophilia exhibit
"Without meaningful interactions with nature, we begin to deteriorate emotionally and spiritually." - Artist Christopher Marley, Biophilia exhibit
"We could survive without color as we could without taste, but it's presence seems to indicate that we were meant for much more than survival."
- Artist Christopher Marley, Biophilia exhibit
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