Seeing Creation

The Psalmist tells us to “sing to the Lord a new song.” (96:1) After traveling and photographing in South Carolina and Georgia the past six days I am, indeed, singing a new song to the Lord. I’ll call it the “Song of the South.” It doesn’t include the words “zippedy doo-dah, zippedy dey” but the sentiment is close. It is a joyful celebration of all the new natural beauty I have seen. For whatever reason, I have not photographed South Carolina and Georgia before. I’ve discovered that this was a mistake.

In recent days I’ve traipsed through various swamps, strolled along the shores of barrier islands, and marveled at sunrises on the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve watched majestic alligators sunbathing and seen explosions of color in azalea bushes. I’ve gazed with wonder at tunnels of live oaks draped in Spanish moss and felt like a kid again picking up seashells on the coast. All of these experiences are cause for celebration and praise. I am well-aware that God is the Giver of all good gifts so I offer Him my song of gratitude for all I’ve seen and witnessed on this journey.

In times past I wondered how a person could be expected to always “sing a new song to the Lord” but it all seems pretty clear to me now. Each day we are given new blessings. A lot of these we take for granted because they come so routinely. Others are brand new experiences and therefore more obvious. Still, each day we experience God in new ways and this experience calls for a new song. It can’t be the same old song because it’s a new day, things are different, we are different. As we come to experience more and more of God’s goodness, love and grace we have to keep coming up with new songs, new ways of expressing our own love, gratitude and worship in return.

I encourage you to take the time to think about what God has provided or done for you today. Give some thought to the routine blessings that were yours this day, as well as those things that were special or different. Once you’ve done this, offer in your heart or with your tongue a new song to the Lord. In light of what God has provided you, nothing less than a new song will do.

–Chuck

(I took the top image this morning at Jekyll Island, the middle image yesterday at Cumberland Islands National Seashore, and the bottom one this morning at the Okefenokee Swamp.)

I have been working on a big photo e-book project that I hope to complete by the end of the month, Reports from the Wild. It expresses some things that are very important to me related to how we see nature. A chapter on the green heron, “Swamp Hunter,” made me think a bit about how we see and glorify nature.

The green heron is a simple swamp hunter, ordinary, common. You can find them throughout most of the U.S.  It is no wildlife celebrity like penguins, polar bears or whales (these animals could care less about being celebrities — we make them so). The green heron doesn’t care much about being a celebrity, but celebrity animals do get attention in our sometimes celebrity crazed culture.  Everybody knows about penguins, polar bears and whales, yet far fewer people know a green heron, even though they are far more likely to see one.

Now I am not going to pretend that the Bible tells us anything about green herons or celebrity wildlife.  I do think, however, the following passage is worth thinking about and meditating how it might resonate with nature.

“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’” Matthew 9:10-13

Of course this is a passage about Christ’s nature to be inclusive and to challenge the self-righteous. Yet, Christ is consistent on this message, about paying attention to those that need attention, not just those who are popular or powerful.  That can make us think about nature.  Green herons are just one species of so many around us that need our attention, just because they exist, just because they are part of God’s creation. Yet, notice how often the media plays up the celebrity wildlife, the celebrity nature.  It sells.  And it often misses connecting us with all of God’s Creation.

It is not the big names in wildlife, such as those penguins and so forth, that need “a doctor”, or our attention, but the little things that make nature work so well every day. Penguins, polar bears and whales are important, but they can become so dominant in the media that people start thinking that is what nature is, celebrities.  The small stuff, like green herons, are then unknown, often unappreciated, and a little bit of nature dies around us. We become less connected to God’s Creation, to God’s second book.

– Rob

Some people seem to live way before their time.  For me a good example of this is John Woolman.  Woolman, a Quaker businessman and itinerate preacher, was born in New Jersey 1720 and died in 1772.  He was a deeply spiritual man whose faith caused him to speak out against slavery long before it was the popular thing to do.  He spoke strong words against injustice and oppression and was also an opponent of conscription.  While reading The Journal of John Woolman this past week I also discovered that he was an early advocate for the prevention of cruelty to animals.

In the opening chapter to his Journal Woolman writes: “…true religion consisted in an inward life, wherein the heart does love and reverence God the Creator, and learns to exercise true justice and goodness, not only toward all men, but also toward the brute creatures; that, as the mind was moved by an inward principle to love God as an invisible, incomprehensible Being, so, by the same principle, it was moved to love him in all his manifestations in the visible world; that, as by his breath the flame of life was kindled in all animal sensible creatures, to say we love God as unseen, and at the same time exercise cruelty toward the least creature moving by his life, or by life derived from him, was a contradiction in itself.”

Woolman felt that you could not separate how you treated animals from your faith or religion.  Others, throughout history, have concurred with him.  St. Francis of Assisi once said, “If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men.”  Another sensitive soul wrote: “I would give nothing for that man’s religion whose very dog and cat are not the better for it.” 

It should be obvious from reading the Scriptures that God cares greatly for all the creatures He made.  A number of biblical passages actually deal with the proper treatment of animals.   Most Christians are well aware that one of the Ten Commandments calls for a day of rest.  What they may not realize is that God said in the same Commandment that animals are to be given a break on the Sabbath as well.  (Exodus 20:8-10) Jesus indicated that God fed the birds and that not a sparrow falls to the ground without Him taking notice.  If God cares so much for the members of the animal kingdom shouldn’t we?  And does that not also mean that we, like John Woolman, should be advocates for the prevention of cruelty to animals?

There are a number of people in the church I serve who work very hard to prevent animal cruelty in our area.  They have been fighting to make our local animal shelter a “no-kill shelter.”  They also donate countless hours trying to find homes for abandoned dogs and cats so they will not be killed.  I am very thankful for the work of these individuals and feel that their work truly honors God.  Their work is a reflection of their faith.

Our pet dog, Sierra, came from an animal shelter.  She had been both abused and abandoned.  I do not understand how anyone can intentionally be cruel to an animal.  Such behavior is godless and evil.  Once again I have to ask, if God created these animals and loves them, aren’t we supposed to as well?  The great medical missionary and humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, had much to say about the ethical treatment of animals.  He believed not only that they should be properly cared for, they should be prayed for as well.  Schweitzer composed this evening prayer for all living creatures: “O heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath; guard them from all evil, and let them sleep in peace.”

How we treat animals truly does say a lot about our relationship with God.  I encourage you to treat your animals well and to do what you can to prevent animal cruelty.  I would also suggest you consider following Schweitzer’s example and pray for your pets and all living creatures.  It certainly seems like the right thing to do.

–Chuck

(I’ve chosen to illustrate today’s entry with images of our dog, Sierra.)

This past Wednesday I was walking our dog, Sierra, in the back yard, when I came across something very interesting.  There on the ground before us was a beautiful antler left behind by a whitetail buck.   Just two days earlier I was telling a friend of mine that I had never seen a deer in our yard.  I still haven’t seen any deer there but I certainly have proof that they have been there.   When I posted a picture of the antler on Facebook another friend told me that this is “sheddin’ time” for deer, meaning that this is the season when deer typically drop or shed their antlers.  I had not heard that phrase before.

As I noted above, I found the antler on Wednesday.  That just so happened to be Ash Wednesday this year, the beginning of the season of Lent.  Lent is a forty day journey leading up to Easter.  It is a time when Christians are encouraged to do some self-examination and repent of their sins.  In some ways Lent might also be called “sheddin’ time.”  As we focus on the sacrifice of Christ we, too, may need to shed or drop a few things.

At the beginning of Hebrews 12 the biblical writer says “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked for us.” (v. 1)  The image painted here is that of a runner who throws off his robe, or anything else that might slow him down, in the race he is running.  There can be no denying that we all have sins and bad habits that slow us down in our Christian journey.  These need to be shed.  Lent is a good time to do so.

In Colossians 3 the apostle Paul writes: “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (vs. 9-10)  The picture painted here is a bit different than the previous one.  Here Paul depicts dirty clothes being cast aside and fresh, clean clothes being put on instead.  He says a couple of verses later: “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (v. 12)  Once again, there can be no denying that we all have dirty laundry–harmful attitudes and actions–that need to be shed.  Lent is a good time to do so.

It is currently “sheddin’ time” in the world of nature.  Hopefully it will also be “sheddin’ time” for many of us in our spiritual lives as well.

–Chuck

(I photographed the two whitetail bucks at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The bottom image shows the antler as I found it this past Wednesday.)

Over the past few months our nation has witnessed several tragedies as one deranged person after another engaged in senseless killing. The murder of innocent people in Colorado, Oregon, Connecticut, New York and other states has left many shocked and grieved, wondering what has become of the human race. Why would anyone think another person’s life was dispensable? Why would anyone kill just to be killing?

I was reminded a couple of days ago that senseless killing goes beyond humans murdering one another. While in Tennessee visiting friends I noticed an article in the Nashville paper that told the story of a Clemson University student who was doing research on the shrinking number of box turtles. This student purchased a realistic looking plastic replica of a turtle and placed it in the middle of a two-lane highway. He then hid and watched for a number of hours. What he saw was driver after driver intentionally swerve so that they might run over the turtle. This same university student went to a school and asked a class how many of them had ever purposely run over a turtle or been with someone who had. A large percentage of the class raised their hands.

The senseless killing of turtles is not an isolated incident. Our country has a long history of reckless behavior toward animals. At one time the West had millions of bison roaming the land. This majestic species was almost elminated because people shot them just for the fun of it. Wolves, coyotes, grizzly bears, and numerous other creatures have, likewise, been victims of senseless killing. Once again I have to ask, why would anyone kill just to be killing?

I believe that the Bible teaches that all life is precious. I would even say all life is sacred since it comes from God. It is obvious that we live in a time when life is not held sacred by all. For far too many people life is cheap–human and otherwise. This is not the way it is supposed to be. This is not what God intended. I realize that the Scriptures say “There is a time to kill and a time to heal.” (Ecclesiastes. 3:3) Perhaps in battles against evil lives must be sacrificed and I realize that animals must also be killed for food, but even in such circumstances the sacredness of all life should be maintained. Life is not cheap; it is a priceless gift of God.

Because of sin and evil there will likely continue to be far too much senseless killing. There is a lot of discussion right now about how we can stop the madness. One step in the right direction is the affirmation of the sacredness of life, something taught by all the major religions of the world. When it comes to seeing Creation–all of it–we must learn to acknowledge both its inherent goodness and its divine right to exist. This is not the message that is being conveyed by most forms of media today. In light of what we see happening all around us, let us pray that soon changes. In the meantime, it will be up to people like you and me to spread the word. Life is sacred and senseless killing must stop!

–Chuck

(I photographed the box turtle in Kentucky, the coyote in Wyoming, and the grizzly bear in  Alaska.)

You probably noticed that Chuck and I just spent a little time photographing in the northern reaches of the Everglades in Florida up by West Palm Beach. A lot of people think the Everglades is just the national park, but it is an ecosystem that goes far beyond the park, which is one of its challenges. While in Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, I picked up a book, The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise by Michael Grunwald. This is a fascinating history of the entire Everglades drainage which begins up near Orlando. I am only part way through it, but it is filled with history and how people deal with land they don’t understand.

It is very interesting that a lot of people going to Florida early on thought the Everglades was a desolate and worthless swamp. Then as America annexed the land, developers moved to the area and were determined to drain this “worthless swamp” so that people could live and farm there in the rich soil (it actually wasn’t rich), beautiful weather (they didn’t mention the storms), and lovely conditions of mild winter (they also did not mention the bugs, especially mosquitoes). And there were folks who sincerely felt that God wanted them to subdue this landscape and make it profitable for man.

Times have changed and today people realize what a treasure the Everglades is, but how messed up it got by people trying to drain it. Those were different times when folks like Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward promised in 1904 to create an “Empire of the Everglades,” by wringing the last drop of water out of that “pestilence-ridden swamp.” It was a time when man could do anything and certainly a worthless swamp was not something to care about.

Consider this. If we believe God has created this stunning world of ours, and His work is good, then having an attitude like that goes against God. It essentially says that God must be stupid to have made such a terrible place. The folks of the time believed God gave them a mandate to conquer the earth, though I am not sure this was not a bit of human arrogance. The Bible says we were made in the image of God, but it seems like people often make God in the image of themselves to justify all sorts of assaults on the planet and nature. The excuse people had was that these places were places of evil, not of God, but that is an excuse born of how people viewed nature, not a real look at nature.

People still do this today for swamps and wetlands because they seem like places that do nothing for man. Perhaps it would be better to see what they do for God, and how they truly do glorify God when we open our eyes to what is really there. The Everglades is such a good example of this. It truly is a place of connections, amazing connections between animals and plants that have everything to do with beauty and God’s amazing capabilities and nothing to do with evil or worthlessness.

A very simple example: Alligators create holes in the wetlands that create places other animals come to during dry spells. This helps the system survive even when conditions are not at the best. These gator holes are like Noah’s arks, but for dry conditions in a wet landscape. That is a pretty remarkable way this system has been put together.

Or just look at how slight variations in water change what grows in places and how things adapt. Places where the water is deep (which is very relative since water is rarely very deep anywhere in the Everglades or most other swamps), the water is open and has water lilies growing there. As the water gets shallower, sawgrass and rushes grow, then cypress, a tree that can handle wet roots. Each grouping of plants and habitat creates a unique habitat for wildlife, too, so anhingas will be in the sloughs where the water is deeper, herons in the shallower water because they don’t like to get their bellies wet, raccoons in places where the ground gets drier, and so forth. There are also very dry places, tree islands, where animals like Florida panthers and black bear live. Each place is a well-connected system of interdependent parts that, to me, says that God is pretty amazing to have structured a world like this.

As Chuck has said many times, nature is God’s “other book,” a book where He has written directly. We might not understand everything in that book, but simply not understanding is no excuse to write it off as unimportant. Then we truly are trying to make God in our image because we want a small God that only does things we understand. I am pleased to know a much bigger God who does amazing things that can be difficult to understand, but provide us with a stunning world if we are only open to all of its possibilities.

The images you see hear are all in the Northern Everglades: lily pads in Grassy Waters Nature Preserve, swamp lily in Loxahatchee Wildlife National Refuge, varied habitats in Grassy Waters and ferns in a cypress swamp in Loxahatchee.

– Rob