Pastor Larson’s Corner: The amazing world around us
Last spring I started two hives of honey bees in my backyard. I kept bees once before, but haven’t had any hives for over 30 years. In the past my hives were always several miles away from my house so having them so close has enabled me to observe them more carefully. Now, as I walk around the neighborhood, I look for which flowering plants the bees are visiting to get their nectar and pollen for the hive. I have been absolutely amazed by the variety of flowering plants available to the bees in our area. I was familiar with some of these plants, but most of them I had never noticed before. It took the bees to open my eyes to some very beautiful flowering plants right in my own back yard.
Most people never notice the bees working all around them, nor do they even notice the myriad of flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers that the bees are attracted to. Generally speaking, modern man takes little notice of the beauty of nature. Often I will see people out for a walk with earphones plugging their ears listening to their music or talking and texting on their devices. They are out in nature but they hear or see little of the beauty that surrounds them.
Noticing the beauty that exists all around us has many benefits. Beauty always gives us pleasure and the beauty of nature does it in extraordinary ways. When we see a beautiful flower or hear the beautiful song of a bird it can lift our hearts and stir our minds. In addition, when we notice and enjoy the beauty of nature, we become advocates for the care of the earth. In the Bible God calls us to, “dress, till, and keep the earth.” Responding in positive ways to that call will bring great pleasure as we notice more and more the amazing beauty that surrounds us.
Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.
Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com
This article originally appeared in the Sept. 18, 2015, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
