The Beauty of Earth's Harvest (Rev. Tom VandeStadt)

In Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Shug famously tells Celie, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.  People think pleasing God is all God cares about.  But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.” 

I make no claim to be a photographer.  A camera simply helps me notice things like the wind swaying the color purple in a field, the intricate design of a flower, the remains of a tree long dead yet still gracing the landscape with beauty, a giant saguaro giving itself a hug, a green hummingbird buzzing around a red ocotillo, a blue heart in the sky, and the elegance of dry grass.  God seeking to please me with the beauty of earth’s harvest.  May it please God when I notice. 

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Rev. Tom VandeStadt is pastor at Congregational Church of Austin, UCC and a social justice champion. Check out more of Tom's work on AllCreation.org here.