What would you say is the worst invention is of our
time? What has had the most
damaging consequences to our society?
Is it the television?
Internet? Cell phones? When I was in the seminary there was a
priest who made a compelling case that the most destructive invention of the
modern age is the street lamp. He
argued that with the invention of the street lamp we stopped looking to the sky
and looked only at ourselves. The
whole cosmos was blocked by the orange glow.
I
experienced this first hand while I was at seminary. One of the most frustrating features when I lived in the
cities was that I could barely see the stars. On some nights I could barely see the moon!
The
Fathers taught that God writes in two books: the book of the Word and the book
of creation. I thought of this in
our first reading. Look again at
how many references there were to nature: dew, lily, Lebanon cedar, shoots,
olive tree, fragrance, shade, grain, vine and wine. Enjoying the outdoors—the sunsets and sunrises, night sky,
lakes and more—can actually help us in our faith. Think how often the Old Testament and the New—especially Jesus’
own teachings—rely on examples from God’s creation.
In our Christian journey, we ought
not forget God’s book of creation as it not only surrounds us with beauty but
also teaches us about God Himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment