Interpreting Creation

 

                                                                    Valerie Nichol painting 

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.

May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.

 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, 

give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, 

throughout all generations.

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.

In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, 

until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. 

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72: 1-8, 18-19 NRSVue (Advent 2 reading) 

During Advent I'll do some reflecting on what it means to be "grounded" and "groundling" Christians as we prepare for the coming of the Christ. I'll wander around our home and take photos of some of our art work which tends to be nature themed. 

This painting is by Collingwood area artist Valerie Nichol who says about herself 

I’m attracted to textures

tree bark, earth, snow and rock formations, water surfaces, waves, ripples, frost patterns…

I love movement

movement as in a piece of music that builds to a climax and falls away.
Movement as in rolling clouds and waves.

Many guests have commented on this piece and see waves breaking on a shore, hills in the distance, heather on a moor -- it's open to interpretation. Happily, we haven't grown tired of this piece and it continues to offer up its gifts. That's our experience in Creation, that when we head outdoors we are rarely disappointed and often enchanted by what we see. Recently we saw a small swan feather on the surface of the Moira River north of town and it was the gift of the Creator -- and the swan --  in that day. 

I have added verse eight of Psalm 72 to the reading for the second Sunday of Advent (above) because it contains the verse which is the motto of Canada,  A Mari usque ad Mare" or "From sea to sea".