#2

Jesus said, "For whoever exalts                    Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon
himself will be humbled and                        you and learn from me for I am
whosoever humbles himself                         gentle and humble in heart and
will be exalted."                                         you will find rest for your soul."
Matthew 23:12                                           Matthew 11:29

Often we walk out to a hill that stands about 150' above the surrounding countryside.  The view is amazing.  I cannot say why but as I stand on that high place I feel as though I am bigger than I really am -- exalted.  I doubt very much that climbing onto a high peak in the Rockies would provide me with a better feeling.

Not a hundred metres from there, we drop down into a valley where we walk through a towering cathedral of old-growth pine and spruce.  Here the shadows run long and even on the hottest days there is moisture and a pleasing scent in the air.  Down here the feeling is very different; here I feel small and insignificant.  I am humbled by the size of these old trees and by the feeling of calm that comes over me.  Of the two feelings -- exaltation or humility -- I am not sure which I prefer the most.  The danger in being exalted is that one can be led to believe that he deserves it and with that can come pride and arrogance.  Our ego can cause us to feel that we must be a little bit better or ahead of everyone.

This leads me to the story of Archy the educated cockroach.  It seems that Archy was crawling through a large cake of cheese.  He got to wondering what a cheese would think if a cheese could think.  He concluded that it would think that it was just about the most important thing in the world, just as everything that can think does think.  That's from Don Marquis book, Archy and Mehitabel.  Now I'd like to give you one that my father used to use (he was full of these little gems):  "Son, the danger in thinking that you're the whole cheese is that, as you get older, you will be forced to deal with the possibility that more than likely you are just the 'hole'."

The beauty of living and visiting the things of Creation, like our pets, working in our garden or following a trail to old-growth trees is that humility and exaltation are always close by.  When we compare ourselves to others we come away either discouraged or we take credit for our successes and become prideful and arrogant.

I have worked outside all of my life--in the bush or in the corrals with cows and horses.  I can confirm that God's creations dole out exaltation and humility in equal portions.  Having said that, I think the next time we walk out to Lookout Point, I will visit the valley with the old-growth trees first before I climb up the hill and wait to be exalted.

Richard

#1

In the beginning God created. . .                   In the beginning was the word. . .
Genesis 1:1                                                 The first 6 words of the Gospel
The first 5 words of the Bible                        according to John

A big first-time Hello.

Both of the verses above go on to explain Creation, what was made, how it was made and who made it.

Considering both of these Biblical accounts and many more found within the Christian operator's manual, I find it impossible to believe that God does not have an ongoing concern about his Creation.

When I consider the implications of Jesus' words found in the Gospel of John 13:34, "A new command I give to you--love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another: by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another"  it causes me to wonder what kind of love it is that far too many Christians are practicing.  Is it the kind that thinks destroying God's Creation and replacing it with creations that glorify man's dominion is acceptable?  Is it the kind of love that puts our selfish wants ahead of giving thanks for the bountiful gifts found in Creation?

Does it not make sense that if Christians truly love one another that it follows that we should give thanks and care for all the gifts that God has provided for us through his Christ and Creation; things like clean air, pure water, good soil and ample rains in season for our plants, crops and the good healthy food that is provided to us.  What about the many types of animals that give freely to us for food, relaxation and companionship.  Are these things not all important in our Christian walk and is not taking care of them showing love for one another?  Consider the wild places where God's creations tend to the needs of our soul-- places like towering cathedrals of trees that offer an opportunity for meditating on God's word; for the healing of our souls and spirits; to think about concepts like faith, trust and patience.  These wild places offer us a chance to learn about humility and about being exalted.

I have come to believe that taking care of God's Creation is a moral issue; it is a part of our Christian walk and an important way of displaying love for one another.  Offering this Christian perspective will be my mission for as long as God wills it.  It will be the focus of this blog.  My prayer is that the articles and pictures presented here will encourage people and inspire them to be part of the talk in ways that give us the opportunity to give thanks for Creation.  You are invited to join in.

Richard