Tag: creation

The Earth Is Full of Your Creatures

I recently heard the testimony of a young woman who had grown up without any religious upbringing. She had no faith, since she had never come into contact with people of faith. One day, however, she took a short trip through Austria. She said, “When I saw the Alps—that mountain range—I knew—all of a sudden—very clearly: God exists!” From that moment on, she discovered the Christian faith and began to live it out. This story reminded me of my father, who always used to say, “And if you don’t believe in God—just look at nature; that’s the proof of God.” Sure, we know how nature came into being—namely, through an evolutionary process. But the question “Why at all?” remains unanswered by science. The young woman was able to recognize the Creator in one of His most beautiful creations: the mountains.

Yesterday morning we prayed Psalm 104, the famous long psalm that praises creation. For the first time, I noticed the verse, “The earth is full of your creatures.” I don’t know about you, but until now, whenever I thought of creation, I thought of individual creatures—especially human beings. Every man and every woman is created and formed by God. That is where their dignity and beauty lie. So, in my mind, the concept of creation referred to individual people: When I thought about the fact that he or she was created by God, it inspired respect in me and, if possible, love for that person. The same applies to nature: When I saw a beautiful flower, when I saw a fascinating animal—it pointed me to God, and I was filled with respect and awe.

But when I read, “The earth is full of your creatures,” I was able, so to speak, to contemplate all creatures together at once: they all come from God. I looked across to the other side of our monastic choir: it was overwhelming. God did not just create this or that person; no, he created them all—the whole world is full of his creatures. In this sense: God is present everywhere. How could anyone even overlook him? Everything belongs to him. Every little thing points to him, and all things together point to him even more clearly. He created this and that and everything together. His “signature” can be recognized everywhere. How much imagination and creativity, how much power and ingenuity, how much love! How could we overlook him?

Praise be to you, O Lord, for your love for us. We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to you. Let us enjoy your creation, treat it with care, nurture and protect it where necessary, honor it, and give thanks for it. You are great and wonderful. Amen

Believe that you are loved

Sometimes we feel that there is not enough love in our lives. We think that our spouse, our confrere, our fellow human being, could love us more. God could love us even more. Our desire for love is so deep and comprehensive that it is hardly possible to satisfy it completely. We should not feel guilty about this longing. That is simply how we are made. Why is that? Because God created us that way. He created us out of love and out of an abundance of love. Out of pure love. We want to feel that at all times, to live out of that love. When a little bit of that love is missing, we feel it too.

Years ago, my novice master told me something I have never forgotten. Even if someone loves you, you still have to believe that he or she loves you. Even if he gives you all the signs of his love, a letter, a kiss, a gift, even a sacrifice—if you don’t believe that he loves you, it would be in vain. That is a leap we have to take: to believe it. And to accept it. Sometimes we live in disharmony with other people, believing that they do not wish us well, perhaps even wishing us harm. And perhaps we are right in this perception. But there is always a certain amount of love. Parents, for example, loved us even if they were unable to express their love for us adequately and fully. And perhaps years later, even after their death, we can recognize this and finally accept it.

God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son (John 3:16). And we did not accept him. And we did not believe him. We did not believe in God’s love, even though we saw it. Was his love for us still real? Of course it was! It took many people to believe and accept it. Mary, the Mother of God, gave us an example how to believe in God’s love. God has made all of us for himself, and our heart is restless until it rests in him. (St Augustine) In the end, the love with which God surrounds and embraces us will be fully revealed. For love was there from the beginning, and so it will be there at the end.

Lord, I am grateful for your love. Let me believe in your love. Let me see the traces of love in my neighbor as well. Let us never see only the dark side. Give me humility to accept that I am loved, and let me put aside grumbling and resistance.