When Rivers Clap Their Hands
"Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth." - Psalm 98:8-9 --
The creek had been buried by overgrown brush and debris for fifty years until the neighborhood coalition worked to "daylight" it. Now children gather at its restored banks, learning the names of native plants from elders who remember when fish were plentiful. "This creek carries stories," explains Rita, who helped lead the restoration. "When we heal the water, we heal the connections between people and place."
The psalmist imagines nature itself celebrating divine shalom - rivers clapping, mountains singing. To modern ears, this might sound like mere poetry. But what if these ancient words point toward a deeper truth: that environmental healing and social shalom flow together like converging streams?
In this restored creek, we glimpse such possibility. Where careless neglect once constrained life, native plants now filter runoff. Where once-divided neighborhoods now share garden paths. Where children once saw only an eyesore, they now watch water fowl swim in clear water. This is creation care - not just preserving what remains but restoring what was lost. Not just sustainability, but regeneration.
As climate challenges mount, such small acts of restoration matter more than ever. They remind us that peace with creation isn't achieved through grand gestures alone, but through countless local acts of attention and love. Every creek restored, every garden planted, every community gathered around healing places joins the ancient song of clapping rivers and singing mountains praising God.
Today's Thought: What place near you waits to be restored? What small act of environmental healing could you join today?
Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz : https://www.pexels.com/photo/flowing-stream-near-houses-11771788/
