In the midst of all the crap going on in the world today, the simple concept of strapping a GoPro camera on the back of an eagle gives us a glimpse into an experience we’ve all longed for. It reminds us that how good and beautiful the world was intended to be.
Like many people, I’ve always dreamed of flying. We’ve done everything in our power to replicate that feeling – airplanes, skydiving, hang-gliding – yet nothing comes close to the actual experience of free, unencumbered flight. This video gives us a taste of what birds see everyday.
A deeper question though, is why is it so enjoyable? There’s no doubt that being able to see the landscape from a bird’s point of view is breath-taking. But do you ever wonder why natural things are so beautiful to us?
I recently got back from a camping trip in the mountains. No one would look around at all the trees and say “This is the ugliest place I’ve ever seen.” Why do we see mountains and trees and oceans as beautiful? Why do we take endless pictures of sunsets and flowers and rainbows? Why does a video of flying with an eagle get 5 million views (as of this post)?
First, I think it’s a reminder that the world was intended to be good and beautiful. In many ways it still is, as reflected in this video. At another level, I think it’s even more amazing that we process these visual images and interpret them as good and beautiful. It doesn’t have to be taught. It’s as if we were designed to enjoy them.
Like a radio is built to receive signals and react by processing them into sounds, we were built to be able to receive the sights of the world around us, and react with awe and admiration. This world was made to be good. We were made to enjoy that goodness.