Nicole and I took Jack to the National Aquarium Monday.  Not the big, flashy, glass and stainless steel-enclosed,  National Aquarium in Baltimore.  No, we went to the other National Aquarium.  The one in DC.  The one in the basement of the Department of Commerce building.

It was a fun experience all around.  Having been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, I expected that our experience at the DC Aquarium would be similar.  There would several moments when I should have been suspicious that it would not be quite the same:

• Should Have Been Suspicious Moment #1: I should have been suspicious upon viewing the Aquarium's website, and noticing that there were no pictures of the inside of the aquarium anywhere to be found.
• Should Have Been Suspicious Moment #2: Having to descend a dark and narrow staircase into the basement of the Department of Commerce Building to find the Aquarium.
• Should Have Been Suspicious Moment #3: When the lady at the counter didn't seem to care if we paid our $5 or not.  (We did.)
• Should Have Been Suspicious Moment #4: "Caution: Wet Floor" signs scattered around.  Were the tanks leaking?

But it was a great trip.  At $5, this Aquarium is still a bargain (Baltimore is $20-25), and the scale was perfect to dazzle and amaze our three year old.  Furthermore, I realized that I don't need acres of glass and stainless steel to be amazed by God's creation.  The DC Aquarium featured fish from all over the world, an amazing picture of God's vast creativity. 

If God had simply created one of each major class of animal-mammal, reptile, bird, fish, insect, etc.-we would have good reason to be amazed.  But there are simply so many of each kind.  The number of different types, sizes, shapes, colors, habits, of just fish is mind-boggling.  And God created them all, not just one of each, but swarms:

"And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day." Genesis 1:20-23

 

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