1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen shards of light falling from the sun so clearly as I did yesterday. Fresh, brittle, brilliance was literally dropping in a visible cascade, soaking the tree that overhangs the eleventh green at Brevofield golf course in Wake Forest.
The contrast between last week’s huge storm that left so much devastation, and this week’s clear skies and sunshine, has been startling and refreshing.
All in all it had been an intense few days, between the storm, our children’s perilous night drive through the worst of the flooding, then Rebekah’s weekend at Wake Med, testing out all the fancy monitoring devices in the cardiac ICU. So – while Rebekah continued to recuperate by working from home – I enjoyed a few hours playing golf with my friend George, a long deep breath of relaxation.
Rather than a demonstration of skill, the experience was more one of friendship, of relaxation, and of resting in the beauty of God’s good creation. I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 24, the song that appears in its entirety through today’s post…
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Like I said, I don’t think I’ve ever before noticed with such clarity the literal cascading of light as I did around that tree yesterday. It was as if God opened my eyes, and I could see through the molecules, around the atoms, and even beyond the matter itself – on into the truth behind creation. I could see pure energy, God’s breathing of life, as if the light was carefully illustrating the way creation is sustained – as Jesus said – “by every word that comes from the mouth of God…” (Matthew 4:4)
In the same way, we are nourished, sustained, renewed, and invigorated by our relationship to the Living Word, Jesus. “Light and life to all he brings,” the carol teaches, “risen with healing in his wings…”
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
So thanks, Psalm 24, for adding some clarity and some substance to my experience of light this week.
So I am praying for each and every person who reads this post today, praying that you also find yourselves saturated with light, praying that it captures your attention, and praying that you will be able to see through the molecules, around the atoms, and even beyond the matter itself – on into the truth…
– In love, and because of love – DEREK
(click any of the images below for a larger version… side show)
Derek Maul: Words, Photographs, and Food for the Journey 