Bill Dogterom
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Weather!!
In Calgary, where I grew up, the weather was something to talk about. Great towering thunder clouds dueling it out with swords of lightning, blizzards that disappeared the neighborhood, rain that came in sideways, bone numbing cold giving way before a warm Chinook wind . . . There were days when the weather report – forecasting was a waste of time – would give the highlights happening in different parts of the city. Such were the joys of living in a city on the edge of the prairies at the base of foothills building to the Canadian Rockies. The old joke was, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.”
In Southern California, where I live now, we talk about the weather only when we are stuck for something past, “Hi.” And it is, for the most part, nothing to talk about. But every once in a while, we get weather! Such was the case this week. It was the reason the word “awesome” was invented! Such a glorious display of lightening and soul shaking thunder giving way to torrents of rain leading to a spectacular moonset - the full brightness sliding down the dark velvet western sky before gradually disappearing behind whispy clouds softening the horizon. It is enough to jump start a day into praise.
It would be enough to witness wonder. But to think, we have been invited to participate in glory! There is something about noticing that adds a second chorus to the song. The heavens do not need witnesses to declare His majesty. They will do what they were created to do, their obedience to their nature being part of the song they sing. The rocks cry out regardless of the lack of critical acclaim to their song of praise. Their song is not improved by our applause. But our applause becomes part of the reverberation of their song – often breaking off to be become a completely other song of praise. We join and extend, becoming participants in glory.
That is part of what it means to be human – to be created to be the Image of God. We can become reflectors and containers and partners and co-creators of glory! We can celebrate the songs of silence and stunning sound – we can dance to the rhythms of a universe vibrating with the overwhelmingness of its creator – we can shout joyfully with the unbridled enthusiasm of a sky electric with glory. And, we can sing the song of the redeemed, knowing what the creation can only sense - that the best is yet to come. The new joke is, “If you love the weather, just wait!”
In Southern California, where I live now, we talk about the weather only when we are stuck for something past, “Hi.” And it is, for the most part, nothing to talk about. But every once in a while, we get weather! Such was the case this week. It was the reason the word “awesome” was invented! Such a glorious display of lightening and soul shaking thunder giving way to torrents of rain leading to a spectacular moonset - the full brightness sliding down the dark velvet western sky before gradually disappearing behind whispy clouds softening the horizon. It is enough to jump start a day into praise.
It would be enough to witness wonder. But to think, we have been invited to participate in glory! There is something about noticing that adds a second chorus to the song. The heavens do not need witnesses to declare His majesty. They will do what they were created to do, their obedience to their nature being part of the song they sing. The rocks cry out regardless of the lack of critical acclaim to their song of praise. Their song is not improved by our applause. But our applause becomes part of the reverberation of their song – often breaking off to be become a completely other song of praise. We join and extend, becoming participants in glory.
That is part of what it means to be human – to be created to be the Image of God. We can become reflectors and containers and partners and co-creators of glory! We can celebrate the songs of silence and stunning sound – we can dance to the rhythms of a universe vibrating with the overwhelmingness of its creator – we can shout joyfully with the unbridled enthusiasm of a sky electric with glory. And, we can sing the song of the redeemed, knowing what the creation can only sense - that the best is yet to come. The new joke is, “If you love the weather, just wait!”
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My young son was more than a little jumpy the night of those glorious bolts and rolling low frequencies of the Lord; admittedly, when a surge of power dimmed the entire house for just a moment, I was too. And in the midst of our lacking courage and shivering awe, there was a glowing sense of peace surrounding our fear - finding ourselves growing toward wisdom and knowledge about our mighty God.
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