Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24
If the weather conditions are right, he greets me in the morning just outside my office. I knew his parents and grandparents, in fact, given the average life expectancy of 9 to 12 months, I probably have been acquainted with 25 generations of his ancestors. I say “his”, but I have not figured out how to tell the gender of a snail yet.
My little friend works his way across the sidewalk, sometimes he climbs up the door or a window, antenna up, eyes forward, breathing the air of a new day. I am not sure where he is going or what he is up to. I assume that he has a plan, but perhaps that is an overstatement. He probably assumes that the giant looking down at him has a plan for the day too, but even with a plan my days rarely play out as I imagine. He seems so tiny to me, his world seems so small, his life so short, but then, that is just my perspective. I would imagine that a giant Sequoia might look at me and think, “poor little man, so small, so inconsequential, such a short lifespan, it must be hard being human.” How very observant of the old tree; short life span, hard life, there is no cure for being human.
I look down at him as he sloths across the cement and out comes my phone as I snap a quick photo of him. He does not seem to notice or care. Poor little creature, poor little creatures, one looking for a small meal and a safe place to park his shell, and one looking for coffee and some inspiration on a Monday morning. At first glance, we have little in common with each other. But we traverse the same terra firma, and we share the same designation in God’s creation, we are “creatures.” Yes, I know, we fancy ourselves to be made in the image of God, but perhaps my snail friend is thinking the same thing. The snail and the human creature; in some mysterious Divine equation, our past and our future are interwoven, somewhat dependent upon each other. That may not be exactly true, I am guessing that the snails, bugs, fish and elephants would probably do just fine without humans, but we probably cannot survive long term without them. Creatures: my friend and I are temporary, a mist that appears for a little while and then is gone. 12 months or 85 years, in the scope of eternity there is very little difference.
Tomorrow, snail-like, we will drag ourselves out of bed, we will slowly work our way down Highway 525, we will park our cars and move our achy bodies toward the sanctuary of Trinity Lutheran Church. Sanctuary; a safe place to gather, a safe place to consider the meaning of life, the purpose of our existence, the gift of each day, our calling in God’s creation. Tomorrow we will gather, but today I wish you wonder!
Blessed to share the journey with you, and blessed to share the journey with a snail, I am your,
Pastor Jim
PS: If you would like to respond directly to Pastor Jim, please email [email protected].
