When I create something — a blog post, a video, or even just a doodle while talking on the telephone — it is a reflection of me. It isn’t me. It doesn’t define me. The creation does, however, reflect something of my essence. My soul is a part of the words I write. My feelings are reflected in the photos I take. Who I am is revealed in the conversations I have with others.

God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them,
male and female God created them. Genesis 1:27 CEB (Read in context.)

I interpret the image of God reflected within creation in much the same way. God is reflected in the natural desire human beings have to be connected to one another. God is also reflected in our need for solitude.  God is revealed in the exuberant joy my dog expresses upon my return home. (Think about the father’s reaction to his prodigal son’s return in the parable Jesus tells in the gospels. Read it here.) Even the common housefly that nags us can tell us something of the nature of the divine.

The Creator, the One I call God, can be seen in nature. This is why hiking is a spiritual experience for me and so many others. It is why a rainbow or sunset often causes us to gasp. It is also why the declining time children spend outdoors is so problematic. To be in the handiwork of the Creator is to be within the loving realm of God.