By Kathy Jo Blaske
Psalm 8:
1 O Lord, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. …
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
While a seminarian, I joined a canoe trip led by Dr. Gene Osterhaven into the Canadian wilderness. As stories of French voyageurs were read nightly around the campfire, I remember gazing into the heavens. The skies were so luminous! There were glowing bands of color I hadn’t seen before. Away from the light pollution of populated areas, the celestial views gave new meaning to the word magnificent. I was left in awe of our Creator. I was humbled to be one of the family of God.
Truly, we can be left with a feeling of insignificance in comparison to the wonder of our Creator’s celestial canvas. “Yet,” the psalmist counters, “you have made them a little lower than [elohim] (angels/divine beings) and crowned them with glory and honor” (v. 5). God esteems each and all with royal regard.
As the psalmist continues, God gave humanity dominion over the works of his hands. God calls us to be stewards of life: to use our God-given minds and hearts to further blessings for all.
We’re surrounded by people who do follow God’s call with their hearts. Today, I’m in particular awe of cancer researchers. As a survivor of stage 4 melanoma, my gratitude for the “fruit” of immunotherapy is foremost. Dr. Jimmy Lin, during Calvin College’s January Series, recognized immunotherapy as redemptive oncology, a way of leveraging the natural immune system that God has given us to treat the disease. In my case, it was a lifesaver.
I am humbled by the cooperative efforts of generations of observant, systematic scientists who have reached today’s height of cancer treatment. My own vocation seems to pale by comparison, yet the psalmist confirms that God honors the service given by all of us. By our combined contributions, may God’s majestic name continue to be known in all the earth.
Prayer: Majestic God, give us eyes to see the wonders of the works of your hands, from the heavens above to those stewards of your graces all around us. Inspire us, too, to contribute ourselves to magnifying you as our Creator. Amen.