Who are we?

A couple of nights ago, I watched Disney’s documentary called Oceans. It was fascinating!

The movie began with the question, “What exactly is the ocean?” Can it be defined by facts and statistics? Could it be described by telling its colors or dimensions? Is it possible to explain the ocean in words at all? Not really. You have to SEE it!

So, with state-of-the-art photography, Disney took us all around the world, above and below the water, and attempted to “explain” the ocean.

The smallest life forms were magnified and illuminated until they could be seen with the naked eye. The narrator told how this was the beginning of ocean life…billions of years ago (Right!). From there, life “evolved” and grew into jellyfish, sea urchins, sea anemones (say that five times!), small fish, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, sharks, and eventually whales. (Of course, we had to filter through the evolution doctrine, but that was doable.)

The environments and habits of many marine animals were explained and explored. The scale included everything from awful to adorable, icky to incredible, strange to sensational, ugly to unbelievable, gorgeous and graceful. It was truly an enjoyable experience.

Near the end, the narrator began to explain what is going wrong with the world. Pollutants are being poured into the ocean by streams filled with man’s debris and waste. Human littering is filling the waters with so much garbage. The planet’s entire aquatic environment is being threatened by the unthinking, or uncaring, habits of humans, and this must be stopped! We, as humans, are the initiators and motivators of the destruction of this planet! We are the ones to blame, so…STOP!!! --Before there is nothing left!

Finally, the narrator said, “Now that we have seen what the ocean is, maybe the better question is: Who are we?”

…Interesting…not that we would come to the same conclusion, but that is exactly the question I would ask.

We just saw some of the most awe-inspiring, powerful, and incredible sites in the world. Instead of thinking back to the single-celled organisms that were supposedly the beginning of this incredible ocean, I thought of a great, great God who created all of this. In a word, he made this vast amount of water…oceans, seas, gulfs, lakes, streams, rivers, and all. In another word, he spoke all of the fish and birds into existence. With words only, and in six days, he made the rest of the ecosystem that so many prize.

I can only stop and praise HIM for all of His wondrous works!

And by the way, I do believe that we ought to be stewards of this earth that God has given us to live in. But, think about it: “Who are we…” to think that we can destroy this immense coordination of organisms if God is sustaining it. And, “Who are we…” to think that we could maintain it if God wanted to destroy it.

I suppose if I believed that this all happened on its own…until man came along, I would beat myself up for having destroyed this wonderful work of nature. Thankfully, I do not labor under that presumption, and I can trust an Almighty God to take care of this world that He created, for man.