Amazing People, Beautiful Planet

It's been a pretty good weekend so far. Last night Stephanie and I saw James Taylor and Carole King in concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The music and the setting and were sublime. When James Taylor sang "Fire and Rain" and Carole King sang "It's Too Late" I was deeply stirred and grateful to be present. We returned home at close to 1 am (Hilly traveled with us to Westwood and spent the evening with her friend Tina at UCLA). I woke this morning at 6:30 to go scuba diving with my adventure buddy, Wayne. During the semi-chilly spring dive we saw two bat rays, a lobster, a baby octopus, and two enormous (coconut-size) sea hares. What an amazing world we inhabit! For all its tensions and tragedies, the earth is studded with beauty across the panorama of culture and nature. I wish, I hope, that this beauty will be preserved, even perfected, in the next life. Among Christian theologians conceptualizations of heaven are shifting toward visions that emphasize continuity between this world and the next. I love the thought--that what is wonderful now might be preserved forever. Thy kingdom come.