God’s Menagerie of Beautiful Creatures

We were in London watching the musical The Lion King. Surely you’ve seen the movie; the opening number is worth watching again this week to help your imagination seize the new earth with both hands. As the sun rises on the African savannah and flocks of birds soar overhead, God’s menagerie of fantastic creatures assembles to honor their new prince.

The scene is borrowed straight from Genesis, the morning of creation, when all the angels sang for joy. It is a moment when music is required, fitting hand in glove with creation (you’ll remember Aslan sang Narnia into being). The opening song begins, heralding the moment of our birth and how each one of us steps blinking into a dazzling world filled with more than can possibly be seen or done in a lifetime.

John Eldredge, All Things New: Heaven, Earth, and the Restoration of Everything You Love, Thomas Nelson, 2018.