"The thumbprint . . . is for me a singular clue to human identity. . . .
Just as each human thumbprint is unique, its pattern inscribed on the
work of our hands and minds, the Creator's is even more so?the original
thumbprints on the universe," declares poet Luci Shaw. We worship an
endlessly creative God whose thumbprints are reflected everywhere we
look?in sunsets, mountains, ocean waves?and in the invisible rhythms
that shape our lives, such as the movement of planets around the sun.
And this creative and ever-creating God has also left indelible
thumbprints on us. We reflect God's imprint most clearly, perhaps, in
our own creating and appreciation for beauty. A longing for beauty is
inherent to being human. We don't create things that are purely
practical; we desire them to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Beauty
is also powerful, in its redemptiveness, generosity, inspiration. In
reflecting on the role of beauty in our lives, Luci Shaw writes, "Beauty
is Love taking form in human lives and the works of their hands." So
come, join Luci Shaw as she ponders through the beauty of poetry and
prose the places, sometimes unexpected, where she encounters God's
fingerprints, and let it help you learn to see them in your life as
well.
