See it

It's been a while since I said something in this environment. And to be honest, I'm not really sure what I came here to say. There's somewhat of a raw honesty that seems to work its way out when you just let your fingers linger on and find the words as they move.

I believe in nature. I believe in the beauty of the created world around me--not the buildings and the cars and the paved roads, because all of these will fail and need reconstruction or renovation. Animals and plants have existed for thousands of years and yet we see our neighborhoods needing new streets every decade. I believe in the neverending astonishment that comes with seeing the sunrise or the mountains that reach the clouds. I believe that the stars on a clear night can never fail to take my breath away.

I believe in peace. Not one promised to me by the politicians of our day and age, or by the radical groups who see it in the distance after some sort of "cleansing", but a peace that is received in one breath, one sentence, one declaration. One that can last through the bombs, the global warming, and the societies dying of diseases like AIDS.

I believe in salvation--in eternity in the here and now. One that has been granted to us by the grace of our loving Creator. A salvation for all people who choose it whether young, old, lame, rich, poor, or any other condition.

It's amazing to me how intertwined they are. Each day the sunrise offers hope for peace, hope for new beginnings, hope for grace. I believe in a love so strong that it has the ability to create and maintain each of these things on a consistent basis. I believe in a love that created nature, inventors, the invented, and everything around them. What do I believe in? I believe in a love that, because of one ultimate cleansing sacrifice, believes in me.

Can you see it in the world around you? Do you see compassion in the stars, concern in the waves, strength in the trees, and jubilation in the sun? These are the things that awaken and enliven me everyday. This is my truth, my fact, my form.

What do you believe in?