These autumn days are particularly beautiful, with the stunning colours in the brilliant sun.
This gallery shows just a few of this week's mornings when meandering to the shore as the sun was rising.
-click on any image for a larger view-
During my school days, our Headmistress would often urge us to notice what's around us saying, 'Even the thorn bush by the wayside is ablaze with the glory of God.' I've come to appreciate over the years that she was absolutely right.
Today I was reminded of this as I saw, not a 'thorn bush' but an ordinary drainage ditch, 'blazing' with beauty: colour, texture and pattern.
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I have intentionally adjusted the photo above with texture and colour as I contemplated the beauty on display. The red colours in the weeds to the right were actually there, and brighter. I've muted them so as not to 'take over' the image as a whole. It's the raindrop circles that particularly entranced me— the way they refracted and reflected the light.
As I've watched the daffodils bud and come to blossom this spring I've noticed what they do just before they open their colourful blossoms and display their full glory: they bow their heads, as in humility.
Maybe because this week is Holy Week, ( the week in the Christian year between Palm Sunday and Good Friday, leading to the great feast of Easter) this detail of their downward movement has struck me. For this is what we see — the glory of God mostly clearly, fully displayed in the humility of Jesus who, "... though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. (see Philippians 2:5ff).
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For more reflections on Holy Week, you can check out my 'Lection Section' Blog here.
It looks like the forecast is matching what we saw as the sun rose this morning. Heavy rain and wind are in the offing. Meanwhile —there was a blaze of glory in the early light.
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I’ve added a few adjustments to this iPhone photo with Photoshop and Topaz Simplify get the image closer to what my 'eye' saw.
The glory of last spring's growth, blazing still, though now in its gift to the earth. The life that burgeoned will provide for the next season's growth, and meanwhile is aflame—glowing with an extravagance that speaks of the very essence of promise—the promise of life ahead, complete with its breaking, its falling, its one time sacrifice.
