Living In Creation’s Dawn
Today I’d like to use three “favorites” to remind you of an important truth, that truth being that every day we have a chance to experience anew God’s Creation. When we think of God creating we typically think of the distant past but in reality the process of Creation is ongoing. We are all witnesses to God’s ever developing Creation.
One of my favorite writers, John Muir, recognized this. He once wrote: “I used to envy the father of our race, dwelling as he did in contact with the new-made fields and plants of Eden; but I do so no more, because I have discovered that I also live in ‘creation’s dawn.’ The morning stars still sing together, and the world, not yet half made, becomes more beautiful every day.”
One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, likewise lives with the recognition that we live in ‘creation’s dawn.” She writes in “Morning Poem” this observation: “Every morning the world is created. Under the orange sticks of the sun the heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again and fasten themselves to the high branches—and the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies. If it is your nature to be happy you will swim away along the soft trails for hours, your imagination alighting everywhere. And if your spirit carries within it the thorn that is heavier than lead—if it’s all you can do to keep on trudging—there is still somewhere deep within you a beast shouting that the earth is exactly what is wanted—each pond with its blazing lilies is a prayer heard and answered lavishly, every morning, whether or not you have ever dared to be happy, whether or not you have ever dared to pray.”
One of my favorite hymns has been reminding people of this truth for many years. It is called “Morning Has Broken.” Here are the words of this wonderful hymn penned by Eleanor Farjeon: “Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where God’s feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day!”
Hopefully we can all remember each day the privilege we have to live in Creation’s dawn and will make sure that we offer the Creator all the love and praise He deserves.
–Chuck
(I took the top image early one morning at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. The middle image of water lilies was taken at Land Between the Lakes NRA in western Kentucky. I took the bottom image at dawn at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains NP.)