Goodness of the Rising Sun

The position of the rising sun simply tells the story of the changing seasons.

At sunrise there is a gentle haze over much of the city. The buildings appear crowded. The ones closest are uneven in upkeep. But, a kind of calm beauty does exist because of these edifices. What is visible are primarily windows of varying sizes and different types and colors of stone and brick.

At dawn the exterior of the buildings and one descending helicopter are enough to capture any imagination. This dawn the city appears at peace. Birds fly from building to building. Flies land on tables, on chairs, on computer screens and begin to explore. At dawn the sky is a pale blue, a smart passive color which invites a glance or two and then reflection.

The sounds of the morning are the sounds of life. There is definitely repetition. There is definitely motion. All types of vehicles can be heard, not seen. Listening to the mechanical whirrings and buzzings allows the mind to have a little bit of calm. The noise soon drifts into the background.

What types of prayers wait in the hearts of the city at dawn? What types of hopes and dreams wait to rise and confront another day. It is August. The sun now rises over the north eastern part of the city. At dawn it is an orange orb floating just above the horizon. For a moment it looks like a pumpkin, regal and ripe, waiting to be carved.

In the mechanical quiet as the sun becomes brighter, feels warmer against exposed skin, faith, love, charity might move quietly in the boulevards of someone’s brain. Goodness in some people might need calm to flourish. Goodness is needed by all people at all times.

Goodness encourages goodness. Prayer encourages prayer. Love encourages love. How simple that sounds. In reality it might take a minute for one person or a lifetime for another. The basis for goodness is faith. How an individual describes, nurtures, and uses faith is very important. Faith gives human being a sense of who we are, a sense of loyalty, a sense of hope. Faith begins very privately somewhere in the interior of every human being.

As the sun rises above the horizon the to do list returns in mind. As the sun rises elongated shadows appear on the concrete. The shapes create amusing shapes worth of being painted by Picaso. Iron and wooden benches appear like imposing urban towers or elegant china cabinet glass doors with diamond shaped window panes. There are infinite ways that the imagination can describe and preserve this moment, there are infinite ways that faith can encourage and enlighten those who are willing to be obedient and humble.

Looking at the buildings always creates questions. No matter how handsome and clean the buildings look it is still difficult to know what happens on the interior. It is the same with human beings. The clothes and manners often provide distractions. The jokes and sentences hint at the truth but are often red herrings. Like clouds covering the sun, every person conceals and reveals different parts of their personality at different times.

This revelation simply hints at the evolving story of life.

The position of faith in our lives simply tells the story of hope and loving God.

Georgetown, Green River Grass

I am not a botanist. I do not know the names of most plants. I only know the most basic descriptions: tree, flower, plant.

I know which is pleasing to my eyes and which is pleasing to my imagination. Often, the trees and plants are just scenery, things in the background, noticed but not remembered.

Like all writers my imagination is always searching for metaphors, always trying to cajole syntax, always wanting to take the most simple, mundane idea and turn it into something beautiful and thought provoking. So after a long walk, my eyes were exhausted. People of various ages and sizes had been cataloged. My ears had been paying attention to automobiles with varying cacophony skills. Buildings of uniform sizes had been admired because of slight differences in stone and glass.

But, for the first time, my eyes uncovered the natural beauty of tall grass near the river. It was easy to imagine the grass as being there forever. This grass stretched and swayed toward heaven. The blades were different shades of green, different widths, and different lengths. Clumped together, although individual blades were clearly visible, this was one unified thing, one living community.

Some of the blades were bent to the left, others to the right. All around were other blades surrounding, encapsulating. How fertile it all looked! Other plants more delicate, more unique appeared amongst the blades. Fragile petals could be seen. But, this arrangement was beyond artistic, beyond beautiful. It was awe inspiring. Each blade reflected the late afternoon sunlight in an unique way. There was something serene and disciplined in this arrangement; there was something wild and chaotic in this clump of grass.

What stories did each blade have to share? What prayers did each blade remember hearing? Looking into this green community, my mind felt both patience and reverence. There was no excess, no waste. There was simply life. The realism of this particular bit of grass is remembered because of the unplanned, organic way that it was discovered. The wide river with the beautiful fascist styled bridge were the initial subjects. Looking at this grass was an afterthought. Seeing the bridge in the slightly orange, slightly gold glow of the late afternoon sun had captivated my imagination. But, the tall swaying grass impolitely sketched its image in my short term memory. Was it a still life? Was it a picture of rural life? Had my eyes seen anything like it in an art gallery or museum? Would Renoir have painted this? Or Van Gogh? How would Picaso have painted these blades of grass leaning toward heaven?

Remembering that sanctuary of playful, reverent greenness provided both questions and insight. My eyes experienced the beauty of patience. My eyes gazed at the heaven reaching green blades of grass and I was thankful. The grass is both individual and community. Personification is a good tool for examining life. Personification allows this blade of grass to be described as if it was a human being. The peaceful togetherness of the blades of grass allows me to think of universal, unconditional love as my heart and soul reaches for salvation.