I recently saw this image of Lake Tekapo, located in the midst of the southern island of New Zealand. Coveted for its picturesque views with the vibrant-colored waters and vast array of wildflowers, the glacial lake brings in its fair share of tourists, to say the least (including those who want to upload eye-catching views on Instagram and Tik-Tok). Oddly enough, one of the most photographed spots is Church of the Good Shepherd, built nearly a century ago, right on the “shoreline.”
Granted, the church isn’t exactly in full operation every day of the week, amidst all the non-New Zealanders coming and going; and yet, the relatively small building, stands with an architecture that has its own awe-inspiration. No, it will never be compared to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris or St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City or our National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, the original builders were given rather specific instructions to ensure future preservation of the natural surroundings. The plant life on the nearby grounds was to be left undisturbed. Unchipped local boulders would be used for interior needs. And the walls would be built with natural stones from the area, even leaving the lichens, to make the church appear as if it emerged straight from the Creation.
Of course, that gives plenty of sermon/blog/overall spiritual reflection material to work with: not just with the gifts of nature’s bounty, but the gifts of the local population around Lake Tekapo; a people who are expected to be brimming with patience and understanding and flexibility with tourists galore for economic sustainability, and yet ensuring a little space on the water for continued soul nourishment and hope empowerment. And although the building may be used more often to its maximum capacity for weddings and commercial photography sessions, it still holds worships for all walks of the faith journey.
And as if that isn’t enough awe-inspiration, there’s the window behind the altar, a perfect backdrop with the tranquility of Lake Tekapo with mountains in the vista; a perfect backdrop to the soul-stirring and hope-fulfilling meal of Communion. Yes, even though there doesn’t seem to be enough words in our human language to describe the beauty of this treasured spot in one of the most coveted countries to visit in all the world now, it still pales in comparison to the beauty of God’s love and grace and mercy and new life carried out on a seemingly normal table with simplistic bread and wine. And yet, in the simplicity can still come the ultimate transcendence, so that we may still find breath-taking beauty wherever we are in this world that God still so loves, including you, too. Thanks be to God, indeed!
In Christ,
Pastor Brad