December 9th, Advent Day 13
He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and the fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd.
Luke 9:16
He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread and the fish to the disciples to hand out to the crowd.
He lifted his face. Prayer. Blessing. Giving. And there was more than enough.
It is amazing what you can see, feel, and do if you only look up. But, not only looking up - looking up to God. Being in his presence.
There are some mornings when I am walking the dogs that I can actually see the sun rising and the moon setting at the same time. What an incredible place to be in. The thin space between light and dark. If I wasn’t looking up, I would never have noticed. I stop in wonder at all the incredible sacred gifts that God has given us.
One of my groups has been reading John Philip Newell’s latest book, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. In it, JPN discusses Celtic spirituality through prophetic witnesses like St. Brigid (ca. 451-523), Alexander John Scott (1805-1866), and John Muir (1838-1914).
Alexander John Scott writes: Who can gaze upon the moonbeams stealing through the boughs of the dark forest - or the fir glowing in relief against the clear amber sky, or the mountain scenery which seems to partake more of the sky above it than of the soft verdure that reposes at its feet - without feeling that they all speak of this world transformed and glorified, and of the world above made ours.”
Imagine if he had never looked up, had never let God’s creation seep into him - we would never have read those beautiful, spiritual words.
When we look up, when we stand on sacred ground, we will not only experience the awe and wonder of creation, but we will also be in the presence of God.
O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty. Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness. Amen.