Taking Time To Observe Ocean Life
God Invites Us To Be Wise So We Might Find Life
by Eric Elkin
“O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.”
Phytoplankton, microscopic plants drifting in the ocean, produces over half the oxygen we breathe on the planet. This was a random fact I learned this morning on Youtube. The video I was watching was actually an episode of the Netflix series, Our Planet. It is amazing what one can learn in fifteen minutes.
The ancient psalmist who wrote Psalm 104 never watched this video. They had no access to modern scientific research. Still, they could observe enough of the planet to declare “how manifold are your works, O Lord.” On the other hand, we can watch the activity in the Pacific Ocean from the comfort of our living room. Yet, still not observe the world like the psalmist once did.
In the video, David Attenborough described how dolphins dive down deep in the water to eat. They come to the surface to release the waste from their feasting. This dolphin manure feeds the phytoplankton. Combining the nutrients of the sea with the energy of the sun creates the foundation of the food chain. Eventually, the phytoplankton will create clouds to water the land.
Thousands of miles away, in the heartland of North America, a thirst land begs for moisture. Farmers and ranchers are powerless to produce what microscopic plants do without thinking. Sadly, the human contribution to the process is often disruption. Overpopulation, large factory production, and automobiles can redirect the path of rain clouds.
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty, the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
Wisdom is our saving grace, not human wisdom, but divine wisdom. In the ancient Hebrew world, wisdom was a lady who hovered over the planet. She was an invisible energy force holding the circle of life gently in her grasp.
The energy of wisdom not only creates life; it sustains it. How these processes work was shown quite simply and convincingly in the Our Planet video. The interaction and interconnection between all living things are breathtaking. Not one thing is left idle in the process. Even those who are utterly oblivious to the manifold works still gain life from them.
The psalmist also believed wisdom was available to every human being. This form of intelligence was learned by living in harmony with all creatures and creation. It is why walks in the woods calm the soul. Or why soil conservation produces oxygen and pollution destroys the air.
Take time today to observe ocean life and how it impacts you. Do not stop there, though, consider the whole natural world. God is inviting you to be wise about it so that you might find new life. A new life that moves you from disruption to peace.
Click to read Psalm 104: 24-34
Reflection Questions:
What part of the natural world have you observed lately?
Where were you when you saw this event?
How often do you nature in urban settings?
How can you look for wisdom in your life?
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