Daily Bread Jan. 12

Layers of Creation Revealed
By Cathy Loving of Independence, MO, USA


Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore on that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. —Isaiah 52:6-8 NRSV

On a recent trip, I noticed a geological wonder while traveling on U.S. Interstate 70. The highway passes through portions of the Flint Hills in Kansas, a hard and rocky terrain. There are sections where the highway cuts through these rocks exposing several stunning layers, each leaving the mark of long-ago eras. It is as if God were saying, “Here am I.”

The rainbows of color these layers present to the highway traveler catch and hold the eye. It made me wonder what dramas were happening in the universe to create the many hues of red, blue, and tan. I wondered further… if my life events are forming layers of beauty to bless others. Or am I hiding God’s creation in unyielding, hardened stone for no one to see?

Prayer for Peace

Creator God, let our hearts be broken—that is, broken open, that we may reveal the many layers of your love. Let our deeds reveal the many layers of Christ’s peace.

Spiritual Practice: Caring for God’s Sacred Creation

Choose a way to notice, give thanks, and care for God’s sacred creation. Prayerfully consider one of the following practices or create your own. Walk in nature with a spirit of gratitude. Look and listen for God in all creation. Write or pray a psalm of praise for the Earth’s beauty or offer a prayer of healing and blessing for its wounds.

Peace Covenant

Today, God, I will fall in love with the vast, intricate wonder revealed in your creation and give thanks.

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