Mystery

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth ... when the morning stars sang together?" God asks in Job 38:4,7.

The movie Tree of Life opens with this quote and opens into yet another theme—timelessness. How do we wrap our thoughts around this concept when the mystery eludes us and yet it is a fact in our daily lives? Even when we attempt an answer it only leads to more questions.

The movie repeats cycle themes, clouds crossing the sky in time lapse, the birth of a volcano, the birth of a child; all are measurable, all are timeless and all keep us open to mystery.

Jesus raised similar questions in His parables. He began with daily measurable activities: sowing seeds, watching the weather, harvests—cycle of life. Then He pushed beyond the surface to share hidden truths. Powerful, creative, and life-changing insights. And the most common immediate response to these metaphors was, “How is this possible?”

The questions, the search, the curiosity all lead us into the mystery of living here and into hereafter. Nature wraps around our daily lives as beacon and somehow as a guardian. It is bound up with our ability to learn to see.

“For the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:22 NAS

Nature—timeless—expressions of God’s truth—mystery—open to conversation.

Journal Prompt:

Make a list of nature metaphor or themes that reflect a sense of timelessness to you. Choose one for your character and write a brief vignette when he first experienced that connection.

Share: Two of your metaphors.