The Beauty Around Us

The Beauty Around Us

It isn't often that Scissortail Flycatchers are seen in the Eastern United States. These beautiful birds breed in Texas-Oklahoma and surrounding States. They are seen infrequently in the East, maybe even rarely. I saw a male of the species, very similar to the depiction at the right in the early 1970's, but I have forgotten the details.

What I recall thinking, and again now, as I recall this beautiful creature, that beauty on earth can only come from God. The beauty of Creation - it is even a hot topic on the Internet, with references to websites that show beautiful photos of flowers, landscapes, and the like. That's what is a part of the "The Beauty Around Us."

It doesn't take a long search to find something of beauty around us. There is beauty in people, in the animals one finds across the world, birds, reptiles, fish. There are hundreds of tropical fish species that are very colorful, that are seen in fish tanks and by people who go diving in our Southern waters. There is even beauty in the paleness of winter, when trees are bare and nothing seems to grow, but many people have no appreciation for this drab habitat. A contemplative person, who is very much in tune with God on a daily basis, will see the beauty of His creation no matter what the season is.

Beauty is a gift of God. His love for us, either collectively or personally, is sheer beauty. People who love God are complete in Him when that love is reciprocal. Love is always a tw0-way street. God told us to love Him and our neighbor as we love ourselves. I can say God loves me, but if I do not respond in kind, or at least try to, then something is missing in that relationship. Just as it takes great reciprocal love to hold a marriage together, it takes a similar relationship with God to merit His Gift of love. The reciprocal relationship must be one of humility and gentleness - you can't shout at God and demand anything - if you do that, you will get nothing. But ... suppose we have a person, who by nature is always cantankerous, will that person find God's love? I think so. God is merciful and compassionate. He will help you conform to Him, if you will let Him.

God created this beautiful bird. God also created the human species, and He gave us intelligence. There are great examples of God-given intelligence. Read the history of mechanical things, computers, all sorts of electronics, God gave us the intelligence to invent things that help the human species. The physicians have all sorts of marvelous medical machines which, with their knowledge behind the machines, can heal us. When I'm asked to pray for healing by a friend or even a stranger, I pray that Our Lord guide the hand of the surgeon about to operate ... God doesn't need the surgeon to heal anyone, but we need the doctors.

How terrible the stories we see on the news, read in newspapers, or hear on the radio, of people who commit horrible crimes, murder, rape, etc. We have been created by God. How can a criminal justify taking a life, or raping another person of dignity and health? And it seems to get worse. Some wonder if this is God's punishment. No. God does not do evil things even to justify the good. People create environments where there is no love, only hatred, where people are so egotistical that they become judge and jury toward anyone else who crosses them. There are some horrible examples of this, as we see every day on television, to the point where I am almost sick to turn the set on.

Wars are not the product of God. Wars are created by people, often by the lack of intelligence to see all the ramification of such an extreme action. To blame God for the killing of thousands of innocent people is a mistake. God does not kill anyone abruptly - it is sinful man who places people in harms way. Even though I believe this, I am not a pacifist. I served in the US Army when I was much younger, and where there is a direct threat to my country, I would of course support military action. However, talking in a diplomatic sense doesn't seem to be America's strong point anymore. Maybe we should talk a lot more. Even to God - ask God for advise, for discernment about a serious problem in your lives, and good results usually follow, if we are open to God's solution. That works for a sour marriage too: pray about it together, then, talk about the problem without rancor on either side of the discussion. If you are open to God, you will probably be open to one another, as well.

There is great beauty around us, but there can also be great beauty within us. If people talk to God, to Jesus, to Yahweh, however your relationship to God, what are they doing? They are praying! That's what prayer is, a conversation with God! So if you are doing it already, keep on it. God loves you, and He wants us to be His brothers and sisters, like children coming to the Father. And for those who are not talking to Him, what are you waiting for? He will welcome you with open arms. If you are not going to Church, be it Catholic, Protestant, or other Christian religions and Jewish, and other religions, too - hey, maybe that is not what you are obligated to do (go to Church), but you can speak with God, anytime. You can ask Him questions, and pray for healing, a better life, forgiveness, and all sorts of good things, and He will help you too.

We, in the Catholic Church, have the Sacred Species of the Eucharist, and so He (Jesus) brings us closer to the Father, through their love for us, the Holy Spirit - read up on that, if you will. And you will come t0 understand why we feel about God the way we do. He is not a distant God, He is quite near us and available to us. But whoa those who take His Name in vain. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Insulting God is a good way to break this bond of love between us and God. He will always reach out to you, but if you do not grasp his outstretched hand, you could lose Him, and whatever sense of beauty you have, will probably go with it.

I talk to people around me, especially where I live. People are generally happy to talk to me, as I am to them. Don't always have time, but that's another matter. I'll never know why people have to use God's name as a curse - it stings my ears, and often I just let it go, but I really should say something sometime. Often it doesn't mean anything, but if I continue to take that attitude people will do this more often, because they are no longer aware that they are cursing. Cursing, heard so often, is a general breakdown of the beauty around us, it isn't necessary. It just causes stress!

Having tagged (banded) birds for 25+ years, 1964 through 1992, for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (at that time) in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida, I have come in close touch with birds that are very beautiful. I have always associated God's beautiful creation with those birds in my hand, to be banded with a aluminum numbered band that is attached to their leg in a way that it brings no harm to them. Banding birds is the ONLY way available to science, to keep track of individual birds, where they migrate to, and helps breeding and behavioral studies as well through color-banding. It is my adventures with the birds that kept me close to God even though there were periods in my younger life that I was very far away from Him. So when I talk about life's experiences, I've been there, done that, but thank God, I have found Him again. I've reached out, to His outstretched hand, and I've promised Him that I would shape up!

I've been a devout Catholic since 1985, and life took on a different form. I have found great beauty and happiness. You can too! The beauty around us has become more noticeable!

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