I’m convinced most hunters and fishermen never contemplate the outdoor world they take pleasure in. I know in my own life, without a concerted effort, I only enjoy creation without ever giving it much deep thought. I’ve especially noticed this truth when I speak to hunters and fishermen. It seems their eyes light up when they realize nature speaks very loudly about some things that really matter. And that sometimes we really do not see the forest, for the trees. We would be very shallow people if we only saw nature as another avenue for our personal pleasure. The immensity of creation demands we question it. It demands we understand how our sport only touches the hem of its real value. Let’s face it; we only play on the fringes of all that is out there. It is enormous. And the more we look, the more we discover. We have learned in recent years that our own galaxy is only one of about 3000 visible galaxies. And it is estimated that there are billions that are yet unseen. To put this in perspective; our Milky Way is estimated to be about 100,000 light years from one end to the other. And light travels at 186,000 miles per second. Now multiply that by billions of galaxies.
And then there’s me and you………….
In the scope of the vastness of the universe, we are less than insignificant. In import, we have no bearing on anything. We are not even a speck on the map. We do not deserve mention. If we are only an evolutionary blip, then what matters? Or who matters? Or are we all just matter? But what happens when we add God to matter? It’s like adding yeast to flour. It makes it rise. It gives it fullness and texture and taste. The universe, without God, is meaningless and thus so is the actions of its inhabitants. All that we see and enjoy in nature is also meaningless without God. That is why it is so important for those of us who believe in God and who love to hunt and fish; to look more deeply into the God-made things around us, and realize they are speaking to us each day, about the nature and goodness of God.
Gary Miller
gary@outdoortruths.org