Goodness of Design

Robert Frost paints a stark picture of reality in his simple poem, “Design,” in which he looks at a spider web and the assorted victims, and wonders about the natural world feeding on itself.  He seems to say that death is woven into the world like the web of a spider:

What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?--
If design govern in a thing so small.

Then I spotted the ceramic plate on the wall.  It depicted spiritual gifts listed in Galatians 5: 22-23: 

        the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

        gentleness, and self-control.           

The ceramic plate designs them, portrays them beyond a list of ideas.  They all hang together, an intricate web designed to give life. Each one feeds on the other. 

Then I remembered that spider.  Is the design about death? Or, is the design about the sustaining of life, and a life that goes beyond each generation?  That’s a design woven into creation which designs life out of death from the Spirit into a life for the ages.  I love Frost’s poetry.  It’s always a good place to begin!