Recently, my family and I took a quick trip to Southwest Oklahoma to visit family. On our way home, we decided to drive through the National Wildlife Refuge. It is a beautiful place within the Wichita Mountains. I personally think it is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but it is also close to home for me.
As we drove into the mountains, we lost our cell phone signal. This was not a problem for me, but it was a different story for my daughters, who were watching a movie on their devices. As we moved further into the Refuge, the girls began to complain that the show they were watching was no-longer available. There were a brief few moments where they registered their complaints. Aimee and I told them to put the tablets down and take a look around. It was a blessing that the signal went away. As their eyes lifted up they began to the beauty that surrounded them.
When we take time to look around we can see the wonder and beauty that God has created. Folliot Pierpoint experienced much of the same thing only he lived long before the time of cell phones. It was in 1863 that Folliot, a professor of classics, was taking a walk in the countryside. As he looked around he could not help but think about that gift of God’s beautiful creation. He was inspired to write the text for a now classic hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth.”
For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
As we begin this week together, with so many things to compete for our attention, I hope we will take a moment to look around and see the beauty of God’s wonderful creation around us.
Rev. Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
