Reflections on Reflections

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen -- not only because I can see it, but becasue by it, I see everything else."
-C.S.Lewis

Because I'd set out to see God's character expressed in Creation yesterday, I became mildly frustrated with my own reality that I just don't get out much during daylight hours this time of year. I was about to use that as an excuse...

On winter afternoons, the sun starts to shine with great intensity into my office around 3 pm. (If I am there until 6 or so, I sometimes get to witness spectacular sunsets.) Knowing this and loving the way the sun's light reflects off of and through glass and water, I keep my view of Lake Tyndale fairly unobstructed. I also have places a few things on my work area to catch that light. Yesterday the brilliance of the light reflecting off of and through these things was breathtakingly beautiful to me.

I noticed. I even photographed.

It wasn't, however, until I was driving home from BSF that I saw God in it. (I know, I am slow to see sometimes.) We were in Exodus 33-34 this past week -- a part of Moses' story that I've heard many times (the glowing face and veil story) but have never really considered as more than cool God-special-effects. Moses relationship with God was so intimate that he reflected God's glory in ways that we can only imagine. I want to be more like Moses in that -- not so people can be impressed with my glow-face, but so God can be seen by people who can't look directly at Him yet.

There is something about the relationship that glass and water have with the sun that is also intimate. I can't really look at the sun unless it is filtered significantly. The way I primarily enjoy the beauty and light of the sun is in how it is reflected off and shines through other things. Glass. Water. The moon.

In fact, since my eyesight is dependent on light reflecting off of things, it is only because of this light that I can enjoy the visible beauty of anything or anyone.

Lewis also said, "A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

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I recently had a Flat Stanley with me and took his photo with my water bottles in the window. More about those another day.