The Mystery of Orange

“There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” --John Calvin

When the sun set the other evening, there was a precious, short time when it shone between the cold cloud-line and the treed-horizon. The sun made the most of its single moment that day, setting as a thin, bright orange wall of color between grey clouds and darkening trees. As my wife and I walked, we became burnished, and every plant, sign, and house shone with the influence of the sunset. We were glorified by the incident of nature's timing.

Later, I think, how surprising that I cannot find "orange" in the NRSV translation of the Bible. Something of beauty, truth and goodness exceed our Scripture's expressions. As John Calvin once wrote, “Man with all his shrewdness is as stupid about understanding...the mysteries of God, as an ass is incapable of understanding musical harmony.” The mystery of Orange--and of much, much else from God will be unknown to us. Thank heaven!

The Beginning of Love: Listening

One of the greatest treasures of life is the person who understands you. I opened a phone conversation the other day with the confidence-building words, "Please let me be neurotic for a minute." My friend was completely open to that, listened for the requisite time needed, then brought me back to the normal planet we usually inhabit. Some day, I will do the same for my friend. I know this. We have been through it before. My turn, your turn. It's like the old house rule: "Only one person gets to be crazy at a time." Another way to put it: you'll get your turn. I'll get mine. It will be all right. Bonhoeffer wrote, "The beginning of love for the (brothers and sisters) is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him.”