O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! – Psalm 8:9
A few years ago my family and I decided to visit the Oklahoma City Zoo on Easter Sunday. We wanted to do something different than our typical Easter Sunday dinner. After the worship service, we changed clothes and then headed to the zoo. As soon as we got there we headed to The Canopy, the largest restaurant in the Zoo, and sat down to eat our cheeseburgers and fries. It was fun to see the Easter Egg hunt that was set up and all the colors of pastel eggs and little children with Easter Sunday outfits running around to gather them.
The Oklahoma Trails habitat exhibit was great – we loved seeing the grizzly bears and the bison. We also loved seeing the elephants and the chimpanzees. The marine exhibit was incredible and it was fun to feed the Oklahoma catfish in the pond after seeing the tropical fish in the aquariums. From North American grizzlies to Asian elephants to African apes to fish from all over the world, in a short time we were witness to some of the diversity of God’s creation.
Christ came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). I think that far too many Christians and non-Christians have the thought that a Christian life is anything but abundant. Of course, I do not think that Jesus was referring to us living a life of abundant wealth, but rather one of abundance in experience. From our relationships to the beauty in the world around us to the fun of eating cheeseburgers and fries (though eating too many cheeseburgers would lead to an “abundance” that I also think wasn’t what Jesus was referring to…), we were meant to find joy and meaning in life. Visiting the Zoo on Easter Sunday was a reminder of the vast creations that exist. Seeing the variety of life that are all a part of the world that God takes pleasure in, is humbling to me.
Who is this God that created the universe? Who is this God that created the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the large carnivores, and the smallest of insects? Who is this God who created the habitats for all living things – the mountains, the oceans, the forests, the rivers, and the plains? Who is this God that in all of creation is mindful of me? From the conquering of death in an empty tomb to the joy of a family visiting the zoo – the majesty of God’s love is meant to permeate every aspect of our lives. We were meant to find joy and meaning in the ordinary moments and we were meant to have assurance that our life beyond death rests in the hands of God. Who is this God that is mindful of us? This God is our God and we are the family of faith. Christ came that we might have life and a life more abundant. Thanks be to God for this incredible gift!
Rev. Wendy Lambert, Senior Executive Pastor
