Watching a Shout of Joy

“You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.” (Psalm 65:8b)

Recently on my sabbatical, I had the privilege of witnessing many amazing sunsets and several beautiful sunrises. Truly, to behold the rising and setting of the sun is a gift held out to all upon the earth every single day, assuming the clouds do not obstruct it. Unlike many experiences in our world that are reserved for those more privileged economically or educationally, anyone with sight is invited to witness this event twice daily no matter where they live or what they have achieved. My wife and I probably take the opportunity to behold sunsets more than the average person due to our proximity to a beach that faces west and our shared love of ending our days on the beach whenever we are able. But on sabbatical especially, we enjoyed the freedom to stop, behold and reflect on the signature beauty that marks the beginning and end of every single day.

This first picture is a sunrise we beheld in Israel. We set out on an early morning hike around 5 AM with the goal of watching the sun come up over the Dead Sea and one of the most dramatic desert landscapes you will find anywhere on the planet. We hadn’t yet made it to the top of the Snake Trail when the sun began to break over the horizon. We paused there, turned, took a picture and beheld the shouting joy of another morning.

The second picture is a sunset from our time in the Grand Canyon. It was our last evening in the Grand Canyon and we decided to make a last minute hike down to Ooh Ahh point to try and catch the sunset. As you can see from the picture, it did not disappoint! The colors in the sky before, during, and after the sunset were a dazzling array of oranges, yellows, and reds in seemingly endless combinations. Truly the day came joyfully shouting to its end.

Science has helped us understand what is happening in the sky producing the colors we enjoy at the beginning and end of a sunny day. And those explanations are an important part of understanding and describing the world God has prepared for us to inhabit and enjoy. But wise dads go beyond helping their kids understand the science of creation to helping them behold the beauty of creation. David the poet watches the sun rise and fall with much less of a scientific understanding than your average elementary student has today. But in one line he captures the beauty of the sunrise and sunset better than most any of us. He sees the beginning of the day and the end of the day punctuated with a shout of joy, prompted by the all-powerful nudge of our artistic Creator.

Dads, let us teach our children about how the world works in order that they may live in it and prosper in it to the fullest. But let us also teach them to see the world with the eyes of the poet, marveling at the artistic bounty that surrounds us at each moment and which shouts of joy twice a day.