Psalm 19 Under the Sea

Over break, while Emily and I were in Puerto Rico with my parents and siblings, I had the great gift of going SCUBA diving. I’ve been SCUBA diving twice previously, first last December and then this past July on our honeymoon. (Emily on the other hand has been diving 40+ times and is literally called a “Rescue Diver” – pretty incredible to have as a lifetime dive buddy) As we descended below the surface to around 60 feet, the view through our masks changed from one of empty ocean water to a reef teeming with life and activity. Sea fans, large leafy looking things swayed in the underwater currents. Sponges of every diameter, height, and color protrude up from the underlying coral. We spotted a sea turtle that we quickly scared off but still saw enough of to remind me of Finding Nemo “You totally rock Squirt!” Feather-dusters, with their milky white tentacles would stick up from the coral and then contract into their tiny tube with the slightest touch or eddy of water (You might have seen something like this in Avatar – no, James Cameroon did not come up with them, God did.)

While I was swimming over the reef, a thought popped into my head. All this has existed since the beginning of the world, yet only in the last hundred or so years has humankind been able to explore and marvel at it. This astounded me, especially in light of this quote about beauty from John Macmurray: "All this beauty exists so you and I can see his glory, His artwork. It’s like an invitation to worship Him, to know Him...Beauty doesn’t make any sense apart from God giving a gift to his children. Think about it. Is there a Darwinian explanation for beauty? Not really. It’s a love letter, that’s all. It’s this massive letter to creation, inviting us to enjoy him."

So God, in his infinite power, creativity and knowledge put every single reef, every single Queen Angel Fish, every little sponge and sea fan in the ocean even though he knew that us humans wouldn’t even be able to see it until just recently. To carry on with the metaphor, it is as if God wrote us love letters with beauty for ink, yet hid them under the sea, tucked away from thousands upon thousands of years of human history until they could one day be opened and read. Wow.

In Psalm 19, David writes the following...

 

          The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

 There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

 Their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them,

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

David sees God’s love displayed through the night sky and the sun's movement day after day. Those who know me (or even those who have gone through my pictures on facebook) know I love sunsets. But while I was SCUBA diving, surrounded by a world hidden from common view, I thought – what would Psalm 19 say if David had gone SCUBA diving?

'Be Born in Us Today'

This Christmas season, while listening to Christmas carols, I was struck by the following lyrics from the classic hymn ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’

"O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today."

It’s now the 2^nd week of January and the Christmas celebration of a few weeks past is long gone. Yet each day, I keep reminding myself that Christ has come, that just because today isn't the day we specifically celebrate as Jesus’ day of birth doesn't mean that he is not living, that he is not present, that he is not waiting to be born in us this day. According to the Gospels, Jesus is our Immanuel – a name meaning 'God-with-us.' That God chose to call his Son Immanuel clearly shows His desire for the process that ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ speaks of- that Jesus would ‘be born in us,’ that he would be with us, to live life alongside us. As a side-note, I find this attribute of God- his relational nature, his desire to not merely rule but to accompany his people, his willingness to do life with us – to be one of the most fascinating and compelling aspects of his character. That God loves us enough to be with us; I pray that this mystery never ceases to amaze me. 

One of the questions I am trying to frequently ask myself is 'where do I need Jesus to be born in me today?' Whether it be in my relationship with Emily or interactions with classmates, or in putting to death my pride or forgiving others, I need Jesus to be born more and more in me each day. I need Immanuel - God-with-us.

This gift of God-with-us is ours for the taking – as Jesus says in Rev 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." May we not pack up our Immanuel as we put away the Christmas decorations and forget the truth of Christmas hymns simply because they don’t fill the airwaves anymore. May Christ be born in us this day.

In reflecting on what I'd like to change in my life and do differently in 2014, I decided that blogging would be a good way for me to reflect on what God has been teaching me and process all that I'm learning and experiencing. While the motivation for this new foray into blogging in 2014 is mainly for myself as a tool to process and reflect, I hope that whoever reads each post will be blessed by whatever truth they contain. May God speak to you through my posts as I reflect on how He is speaking to me. 

There is also no coincidence that I am starting this blog on January 6th- today is the 20th birthday of my 'little' brother, Vince. He's tied with my sister for my favorite blogger. He has so many good things to say and such a great way of saying them. The joke in our family is that my mom, a writing teacher for many years, has always said that Vince is '"her best writer" of her kids. Anna and I joke about it but we know its true. If you want to read some deep thoughts and great writing, check out http://blogbyv.wordpress.com/ 

So today, in honor of my brother, I though I'd include one of my favorite quotes. It comes from Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite people and authors, and has to do with birthdays. I frequently include it on birthday cards I write to family and friends because I think the words are so true. And they are no more true than today in honor of my brother Vince.

"Birthdays need to be celebrated. I think it is more important to celebrate a birthday than a successful exam, a promotion, or a victory. Because to celebrate a birthday means to say to someone: “Thank you for being you.” Celebrating a birthday is exalting life and being glad for it. On a birthday we do not say: “Thanks for what you did, or said, or accomplished.” No, we say: “Thank you for being born and being among us.”"

Thank you, Vince, for being you. On today your birthday we thank you not because of your servant's heart, your love for others or you fun-loving spirit. Today, we celebrate you. Happy Birthday V-dogg.