Category: God’s Beauty

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A December Morning on the New River

The cold might nip at your fingers and toes, but the serene beauty of the river is something that warms the soul. It did for me.

(Vote best photo at bottom of post)

We’re told by geologists (what do they know!) that the New River is the second oldest river in the world, ranking just behind the Nile. I bet you didn’t know that.

Also, I bet you didn’t know the New River has a bit of an identity crisis. You see, the New River is like the runner-up in a ‘World’s Oldest River’ beauty pageant, where the Nile strutted away with the crown, leaving the New to graciously accept the silver medal.

Picture this: the New River, stretching its waters through ole Appalachee, telling its river friends, “You know, I was almost the oldest river in the world, but then the Nile showed up with its pyramids and pharaohs.” It’s like being the second oldest sibling in a family where the oldest gets to boast about being born during a historic event, and all you’ve got is, “Well, I was born on a Tuesday.”

The New River, with its misleading name, seems to be stuck in a perpetual state of existential irony. It’s as if ‘Mother Nature’ named it ‘New’ as a cosmic joke, fully aware that this river has been meandering through ancient landscapes since dinosaurs roamed the earth. (I know it was early American settlers, but that’s not as funny.)

It’s the river equivalent of a person named Tiny who happens to be six and a half feet tall.

So, while the Nile basks in the glory of its ancient status, surrounded by deserts and pyramids, the New River humbly accepts its runner-up position, offering stunning Appalachian scenery and a tranquility that the busy Nile might envy. After all, it’s not all about age; sometimes being ‘new’ (in name, at least) has its own charm!

Time to Rate God’s Beauty
(and my attempts to capture it)

(click for larger images)

New River Bridge (1)
New River Sunbather (2)
New River (3)
New River (4)

Going to do a lot more photo blogging. Use this link.

Companion Post

Stack Rock Creek Bridge Video – Autumn

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Celebrate God’s Good Creation

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Taking Care of the Planet & Our Bodies

I’ve sometimes wondered about Christians who were so keen on ‘saving the planet’ but who have little difficulty disregarding the importance of the human body.  They think, for example, that ‘gender fluidity’ is an acceptable way to be human.  They think you should identify as a different sex, for example, if that’s what it takes to actualize your ‘authentic self,’ and by that they mean ‘your inner, invisible self.’

I know some of these Christians.  I love them as brothers and sisters.  But here’s the problem.   They think the body is essentially irrelevant, and that we will one day ‘transcend the body’.  They think we will, at death, become ‘spiritual,’ and therefore more like God (they think).   I’ve studied their theology.  I’ve hung out with them.  I’ve loved them.  And still do. 

YET some of these same Christians think human-caused global warming crucially important.  So.  I must confess, I’m puzzled.  Why not hasten the day when we become ‘godlike’?  Why should we care about the material creation?  Why not salt the earth?  And hasten the coming day of godlikeness.  Material suicide is the ticket.  Isn’t it?

Of course each of them would recoil in horror at such a thought.  But I detect a glaring inconsistency in their thinking.

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What if God created us to be and become what we were created to be and become?  What if God created us to become ‘spirit of God’ infilled human beings? (Theologians calls this Temple Theology.)  Doesn’t that change the end time calculus, cosmically and personally?  And allow us to consistently view the planet and our bodies sacramentalIy? I think it does.

I know there is altruism in the position of the Christian environmentalists I’m criticizing.  

“We should care for the planet because of our children and God’s other creatures” they say.   And they are right.

But if these Christians are convinced that our eternal destiny is a disembodied ‘spiritual’ existence, if we are so to speak ‘justa passin thru,’ and the ultimate goal is to become godlike, as in ‘spiritual’ like an angel, then why not the sooner the better?  True, it may be decidedly uncomfortable for our children and other worldly creatures.  But won’t it be eternally rewarding?

Also many of these Christians affirm God as the Creator.  So.  Can you square that circle?  I can’t. 

As a classic Christian I’m convinced that CREATED spirit (or soul) and CREATED matter (our bodies) are equally important to our Creator, and were meant to be integrated.  God values both.  God created both and called all of it “very good.”  Why would Christians think otherwise?  

They shouldn’t.

Oh, I know, some parts of the created order are broken.  Like my brother’s body was broken in the womb.  Still, assuming normal human development, our bodies are a great and good gift.  And Christians should not think otherwise?

Thinking like that is the great distortion of these very queer un-Christian times. 

God help us.  

There is more to say. Please see the post below.

Companion Post

Gnosticism Rejected

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Celebrate God’s Creation of Male & Female

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Stack Rock Creek Bridge Video – Autumn

Stack Rock Creek Bridge, found near milepost 305, is more than just a bridge; it’s a testament to the harmonious blend of nature and engineering. This stone-faced beauty, seamlessly melding into the surrounding landscape, was constructed in the late 1930s as part of the New Deal-era projects.

If you’re lucky enough to be there in autumn, you’re in for a treat. The foliage turns into a fiery display of reds, oranges, and yellows, as if the trees decided to throw their own Mardi Gras parade.

Enjoy.

Video Rating

Companion Post

Celebrate A Good Father’s Good Creation

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