Thursday, June 9, 2011

Why is the world green?

There is a lot of press these days about "living green".  That is code for living in a way that is environmentally friendly...that respects and preserves our natural world with its resources of trees, wildlife and irreplaceable minerals.  So I was thinking about "green".  Why is the plant world dominated by the green color?  It turns out that when you can see a color, that means the color that is visible was not absorbed...instead was reflected.  So, plants need every color in the visible electromagnetic spectrum to live except green.  Green is the only part of visible light that the plant can't use and so it turns it back to us to see.  But, in so doing, virtually all plants appear that very color.  On a personal level I suspect that there is much more of God's light that we are unable to absorb as He shines on our lives.  But just as the plant is known by the one color that it is unable to process, so we are known by the light of our Lord that we are not able to incorporate...we reflect lives that show deficiencies in wisdom, maturity, selflessness and spiritual awareness and health.   Unlike plants, we don't reflect only one color...in fact most of us are a motley blend of shades.  But there is a quality of living that permits the entrance of more light...it is an openness to light that doesn't require sunscreen...rather it welcomes the Light.  Plants incorporate light into the production of food for their survival and we must incorporate the Light of Heaven to live as well.  As long as we live and walk Earth's surface we will be unable to absorb all of this light from above and the colors we reflect may change...but they will always show our incomplete grasp of Him and our complete and utter need for that Light...the light that first can be absorbed when we open our hearts to become solar cells for the Son.

Matthew 4: 16 the people who sat in darkness
      have seen a great light.
   And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
      a light has shined."

John 12:36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light."

blessings (stand in the light and let your colors reflect your need for Him!),
Rob Smith

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