Daily Devotion - Friday, January 8

The Significance of All Creation

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars you have set on their courses,
What is humankind that you should be mindful of us?”
--Psalm 8: 4, 5

Consider the works of God’s creation for 15 brief minutes a day and you too will probably wonder, “Why is God so mindful of me?” Enjoy discovering answers to this question.

Today we continue our thoughts about the significance of all creation that surrounds us. We are part of a cosmic community. It is important to remember that the Creator who set all time and space in motion created us in community with the rest of the cosmos. Stopping to recognize this reality and spending time with it can really be empowering. Here is a little story from the life of St. Francis who often took time to pray with the creatures of the cosmos:

When Francis was hurrying across the Lake of Rieti to the hermitage of Greccio, out of devotion a fisherman offered him a waterfowl. He took it gladly and opened his hands to let it go, but it did not want to. He prayed for a long time with his eyes turned to heaven. After more than an hour, he came back to himself and gently told the bird again to go away and praise God. Having received his permission with a blessing, the bird expressed its joy in the movements of its body, and flew away.

It may be difficult to take tales like this seriously. The problem is probably ours, however. Realizing the integrity and sacredness of creation opens new dimensions for our spiritual life and our devotional disciplines. We are a small, small part of a splendid work of creativity. I trust you can slow down enough so that in stillness you can discover.

--Ben Keckler
01.08.10