One afternoon in 1885, a group of men in Sweden were walking back home through the fields following a prayer service. One of them, sailor turned lay minister Carl Boberg, was struck by the beauty of the scene before his eyes, recalling for him the words of Psalm 8. He penned a poem entitled “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”), which then “travelled” through Germany and Russia before being translated by English missionary Stuart K. Hine into the English hymn that we have come to know and love as “How Great Thou Art.”
The Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT) is a unique organization that focuses on direct land protection through farmland easement agreements and land donations, policy development for improved farmland protection, and research and education to advance farmland protection. So, not only will this ensure valuable farmland for future generations, but future farmers and walkers might also delight in the beauty of fields and meadows encapsulated by the evening sun.
God of creation, we thank you for the gift of our world and for the creativity of those who strive to protect it for future generations. May we pause to appreciate the beauty of nature around us, and may we do what we can to add to its preservation. Amen. — PG