Tonight I experienced the beauty of a sunset at the end of the world (well, at the end of Oregon Hwy 131 in Oceanside). It wasn’t the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen, but I was drawn to leave my comfortable room and experience it nonetheless. People from all walks of life were scurrying to gain a view, some alone, others with lovers or friends, some with children in tow. Why are we drawn to sunsets and other things of beauty? Sure, sometimes it may be for self-serving reasons: to boast or post about what we’ve seen, or maybe a nervous chap looking for that perfect moment to pop the big question. But we’ve all felt that draw, if we slow down enough, to just BE in the presence of beauty. And this is a good thing, something that I believe God put into our hearts which is a marker of His nature.
I found myself thinking about other things that humans seem drawn to – some good, but others not so good. We all love peace, and comfort, and security. Things like fairness and justice also draw us – but here we find that others may not agree with us on exactly what is fair or just in a particular circumstance. And we are drawn to dark things as well: slowing down for an accident to witness tragedy at a safe distance, or greed, envy, lust, and a thousand other things that may lift us up at the expense of others. I can be drawn just as easily to the beauty of a sunset or a desire for revenge.
The moral of my musings at the end of the world? Nothing grand or book-worthy, but simply a reminder to myself that I am in need of restoration. We can’t trust all of our desires and longings (some would say we can’t trust any of them, but I’m not that pessimistic). I need to be reminded that there is good, and there is evil, and without God leading and continually remaking me, I can be drawn to one just as easily as the other.
Dave Kresta, PhD 