“A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony.
But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.
The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE”
-G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, wow, I LOVE this quote/excerpt. I’ve never read any Chesterton, but now I think I need to!
I see this over and over with my 3-year-old class. We sing a song, and they want to sing it six times. We make things (like sinks and birthday cakes) from Legos, and every day they want to make the same thing we made yesterday. They watch the same Barbie or Boz movies every day, week after week. I have never equated this monotony with their heightened sense of wonder before. Of course, if everything you encounter is wonderful and new and exciting, you would want to experience it over and over!
Your comment actually helped me understand this quote on an even greater level. So thank you!
This is an awesome perspective!! Yes! Yes! To Encore!
How wonderful was this? Man, this speaks to me as a SAHM and the monotony that involves sometimes! Thank you as always.
I hadn’t made the tie-in yet to some of the mundane tasks of being a mom. Thanks for this correlation!
Such a beautiful way to look at the nature of God. I think, too, that he creates with just enough difference in the details to make each flower/tree/animal individual, but perhaps we don’t see it enough. To our imperfect, human eyes, they are the same; but to God, they are each one unique.
Another great insight. Thank you!
That takes my words away! What a profound view of God and creation.
I love the phrase “takes my words away.” It does the same for me. Chesterton has a way with words that astounds me.