Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins was once asked what he would say to God if he encountered Him after he died. Dawkins quoted what Bertrand Russell is reputed to have said when asked the same question: “Sir, why did you take such pains to hide yourself?” I think I can understand why some might echo that sentiment. After all, God is invisible; we can’t perceive Him directly with our physical senses. Yet the signs of His existence—indeed, of His goodness and greatness—are everywhere. The Apostle Paul was right when telling a first-century pagan audience that God has always given evidence of His existence through the good things He has done, such as “rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). God has put up signposts everywhere to help us find our way to Him. One is the natural world. When we look at nature, there are many signs that, because of the tragic events in Eden, it is fallen and ‘groaning’ (Romans 8:20–22). But we see in abundance order, design, complexity, variety, and great beauty. All this points to a Creator who is wise, imaginative, delightful, and immensely powerful.
