The Glory of God

“The Heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder’s craft.” Psalm 19:1-2

There is a lot of darkness in the world. Lately I have felt the weight of all the suffering surrounding me. People share with me their hurts and sorrows, the headlines and social media scream at me about the broken world. It is easy to start to believe that the darkness, the brokenness is the deepest reality, the most powerful thing. Such a belief can make life suffocating.

But, then, beauty breaks through and I am reminded of a deeper truth. As the Psalm says, the world proclaims God’s glory. It is full of light, beauty, and wonder. The stars are radiant. The setting sun paints the sky with vivid, breathtaking colors. The natural world is full of wonders that no darkness can fully diminish or overshadow.

Within the realm of the human heart, the world of our relationships, there is much to marvel at as well. People choose to love, even in the midst of their hurts, sorrows, and burdens, they choose kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. Most of those acts of love will not make the news but they are as radiant as the stars, as breathtaking as the sunset.

Recently I was blessed to experience both of these realities. I was on a sunset dinner cruise, overlooking the beautiful St. Croix River. The cruise was a benefit for Dunrovin Retreat Center, whose mission affords those living in inner city, urban areas the opportunity to come out and be refreshed in an open, green, life-giving environment. It is a mission in which the beauty of both the natural world and the human heart are abundantly manifest.

I was joined on this cruise by the women in my faith sharing group. These are women who love me well when I am weak and rejoice with me in times of celebration. They faithfully support and encourage me on this pilgrim journey. Each one of them reveals to me the beauty of God. They make manifest their builder’s craft, His loving handiwork.

In the brief, three hours of this cruise I was reminded of God’s goodness, His light broke through all the heaviness I was carrying, and I could breathe freely. Once again, the truth was proclaimed, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1: 5)