I write this from potentially one of the most beautiful
places on earth – Waterton, Alberta, Canada. I am living on a hill which is bordered
by a glacier made lake, and is surrounded by mountains. While I share this hill
with my other employees at the Prince of Wales Hotel - I also share this hill
with several ground hogs, a pack of deer, a herd of big horned sheep, and a
fox. Every day I climb a steep hill to reach the hotel, which is at the top, –
before I reach the hotel though I always turn and look to my right. I do this
because at 6:30am the lake is serene and almost glass-like, the base of the
mountains are peaking out of the misty fog which envelopes them like a blanket,
and because it is here that I can’t help but praise God.
It is here in this environment that the words of Psalm 19
come to life. You can hear the heavens declaring the glory of God, and as you
gaze at the sky which is proclaiming his handiwork you can’t help but lower
your gaze a little and as it comes to rest on the peaks of the mountains you
add your voice to theirs as they go out through all the earth. Here it’s easy
to do that – every day is different, and every day is awesome. A group of us
went for a hike up one of the shorter mountains, and as we get to the top my
roommate summed up what we were all thinking when he exclaimed in a reverent
whisper “this…is…breath-taking!”
It is true that this place is breath-taking but what do we do though if we live in the flat lands of the
Mid-West, where in some places the most exciting thing we see is a wind turbine
(I would know, I drove through South Dakota and left with at least 5 pictures
of various wind turbines!)? Or we live in the city where we struggle to even
find the brightest stars at night? Well for all of us we can read the second
half of Psalm 19.
As David is contemplating how the heat of the sun touches
everywhere on earth (it is interesting to note that he says the heat, and not
the light), he is drawn towards God’s Law and it’s similar all-encompassing nature.
As we begin to contemplate the God which nature is constantly imploring us to
worship, we begin to consider his acts and what he has done. For David God’s
greatest blessing was the giving of the law, because it was through the law
that he was able to follow God. For Christians, we look to the cross to see God’s
greatest blessing.
It is here before the cross that we all can join together in
singing the praises of God's acts. It is here that the mountains, the wildlife, and the lake begin
fade in comparison to the wonder and majesty of what God has done and continues
to do in people’s lives. The conversations that I have had with Christians here where we share what God has done in our life – whether money showing up in the bank
so we could continue education or a cool breeze on a hot day – are more awe
inspiring then standing on the peak of a mountain.
Why?
When we are looking at the mountain we are only watching
praise rise to God, but when we join in the praising we are brought into the
universal voice - a voice which there is no nation or tongue which does not understand it. Are you ready to join in?
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