A Wonderful World 

   “I see trees of green, red roses too.  I see them bloom for me and you.  And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.  I see skies of blue and clouds of white.  The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.  And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”  (“What A Wonderful World”, lyrics by Bob Thiele and George Davis Weiss) 

   It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the woes of this world.  There seems to be so much evil and hatred.  In politics, in society, and even in the Church, there are problems that desperately need to be solved.  But those are the results of mankind’s sinfulness and are not the world as God intended.

   When I hear “What A Wonderful World” I am reminded of what is right with the world.  I particularly enjoy Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong’s rendition.  The growl in his voice seems to speak of disappointment and sorrow but a determination to see what is beautiful instead of allowing the ugliness to overwhelm.  Perhaps I’m reading a bit too much into it but that’s what I hear in this song.

   I believe that as long as there are trees and roses, blue skies with wispy clouds passing by I can keep my priorities straight.  I can recognize the imperfections of the world without allowing them to destroy my appreciation of God’s creation.  I can trust that God will, in His own time, set things right.

   At some point the evil of this world will pass away and all that will be left is the incredible creation of God as He intended it to be.  As the last verse of the song says, “Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world.  Oh Yeah!”

 

You have blessed us with a wonderful world.

I see past the evil to the love You have.

Let me always see You in life.

Bless me with Your presence in all things.

 

Amen