This month our team at “Into the Deep” has been reflecting on nature as a holy teacher. Is there a moment that comes to mind for you – a God moment – when you felt particularly close to God while out in nature? There are so many images of nature in scripture, and Jesus uses countless examples from the physical world to teach us about God!
On a warm summer evening many years ago, I attended a farewell party for a friend who had discerned a volunteer mission overseas. The evening was marked by endless conversation, a toast at midnight, and blessings for the journey ahead. It was a bittersweet farewell, and no one really wanted the night to end. Shortly before 4:00 a.m., in an effort to delay bidding good-bye just a little while longer, a few of us headed over to a favorite park along Lake Michigan to watch the sunrise over the water.
Sitting at the water’s edge with my legs draped over the rocks, lapping up splashes of shifting tide, I experienced a sense of timelessness. In those pre-dawn hours, night and day became inseparable. As the earth gradually turned again toward the sun, the darkness of night faded, hints of pink and orange emerged, and soon the horizon was bright with daylight. The birds awakened and suddenly the trees were alive with fluttering leaves and morning song. Continue reading here.
(Photo by Guillaume Galtier on unsplash.com)
Beth M. Knobbe 