Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year. The crisp morning air and the earthy smell of dry leaves crunching beneath my feet captivate me. But these attributes of fall pale in comparison to the vibrant hues dotting the vistas near my East Tennessee home. From a lofty vantage point, the view reminds me of a giant crazy quilt blanketing the mountains and valleys in a magnificent display of glory. Surely the autumn colors qualify as one of God’s greatest masterpieces.
In reality, the Appalachian region is gorgeous any time of year. Even the quiet snowy mornings with frost clinging to leafless trees has a haunting sort of beauty. But what makes the mountains in fall so breathtaking? The red, yellow, orange and maroon of the deciduous trees intermix with the evergreen of the hemlocks and pines. It’s the diversity of color mingled together in a brilliant tapestry that accentuates the whole.
Certainly, the diversity in the natural world, adds to its beauty. Just look at the variety of animals and birds as an example. God’s sense of humor is evident in the aardvark and the porcupine. His bent for elegance is seen in the peacock and the swan as the elephant and the whale are visions of His power and might. How boring the natural world would be if all God’s creatures looked the same.
So, why is it surprising that God created human beings with varying skin tones, eye color and hair textures. He gave each person unique characteristics that only they possess. Even identical twins have different fingerprints. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God-every one of us beautiful in our own way.
Like the contrasting hues on an Appalachian mountainside in autumn, our unique characteristics add depth and texture to our culture that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Oh, that we could stop perceiving our differences as a threat and recognize the inherent beauty within each other. If only we could see through Jesus’s eyes, we would realize that one of God’s greatest masterpieces is the diversity of His people.
For we are God’s masterpiece He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
