The State of Nature

It's been too long since my last post. I've missed the Blogosphere, even though I'm not actually that deep into it. 

Now, for today's post. 

I just returned from a weekend trip in Port Angeles, Washington, about a four hour drive from my home town of Yakima, Washington. It's a town rich in natural beauty: a typical view (even in the downtown) consists of a panorama of rich, blue sky, snow-capped mountains, and expansive water. And being surrounded by nature at all times got me to thinking. As my thinking deepened, I began wondering. Then, I was flat out astounded at the beauty surrounding me.  

On Sunday, my friend's dad drove us to Hurricane Ridge, located in the heart of the Olympic National Forest. I don't think I'd ever been frozen by my surroundings. I stood, almost cowering at the majesty of the Olympic Mountains. My eyes were utterly focused on sharp peaks and snow-covered mountainsides. I'm sure my mouth was agape at one point. 

When we reached the ridge itself and found our way to the lodge at the top, we came across a docile deer, feeding on the lupine-laced hillsides near the mountains. At that moment, I felt convicted. My experience on the ridge was characterized by awe and amazement, but I realized I hadn't been channeling my focus on the One who caused such a reaction. 

"The same God who I worshipped in church earlier today, the same God who created this peaceful animal, created these jagged-edged, rocky mammoths," I thought to myself. And Scripture ran through my mind: "The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory." Psalm 97:6 (NASB)

I looked around. I wasn't just surrounded by mountains. There were groups of people. Children, women, men; young, middle-aged, elderly. Some Christians, some not. Some unsure, some decided. Some living in sin, some living for God. As I've experienced many times before, I was shaken by the Word of God. This scripture transformed my view of nature. 

According to dictionaryreference.com, "nature" is defined as "the material world, esp. as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities." 

According to the Western world, "nature" is a god in and of itself. The Western world has transformed something like nature, due to its sheer size, to the status of something worth worship. I'll let you think about that until my next post.