Articles
Blackwater Falls 2024
R E F L E C T I O N S
Thoughts on nature and the Christian faith
______________________________
"Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them."
- Ps. 111:2
The Blackwater Falls in the mountains of West Virginia are spectacular, especially when the autumn colors paint the woodlands that surround the falls and when the roar of the falling water echoes off the steep cliffs that form the walls of this gorge. Standing at the base of these falls gives one a feeling of being in the presence of overwhelming power. I stood there, transfixed by the beauty that surrounded me for quite a long time, just studying the intricate forms that were in front of me without uttering a single word. Sometimes it is best to be silent until you are granted permission to speak. And sometimes it takes our brains a long time to process the majesty that is before us. At times God gives us a glimpse of his awesome holiness and power. And, if we have eyes to see, it overwhelms us. In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, Isaiah was given a vision of God on his throne surrounded by angels who could only cry out the words, "Holy, Holy, Holy". The vision brought Isaiah to his knees confessing his own sinfulness. This is what happens when sinful men and women meet an altogether holy God. I have never caught an actual glimpse of God, but just standing before the work of his hands is enough to bring me to my knees. As the psalmist says, great are the works of the Lord. His works are to be studied because it is the studying that produces the delight. Worship is not to be confined to what we do on Sundays. Worship is to be a way of life, a way of seeing the Creator in all that he has created, to delight in the art that always points us back to the Artist. Worship is to be a time when we are brought into the presence of our Maker. An audience with God will forever change us. All I know is that on that day, I left the Blackwater Falls changed. - John
Share Online
