I don't know if it's always called Alpenglow, but what I refer to here is usually a mountaineering term. It's when you're in the mountains early in the morning, before dawn. When the sun first starts to rise, it lights the mountains up in the most vivid of colors, usually casting a gold or red paint on the still otherwise magnificent mountain peaks. This effect is so vibrant that the first Spanish explorers in Colorado met some mountains in the morning (or evening) and named them the Sangre de Christo Mountains, which translanted means Blood of Christ. I could only imagine the awe and spectacle of these mountains which would drive the Spanish to name them that.
I've found recently very beautiful places after numerous trips west and driving east into the next day's dawn. Coincidentally, I always drive east at sunset and have continually been caught by this phenomenon, sometimes inspiring me to pull over and simply gaze at the sunset without looking towards the sun. It's like an old analogy I use to describe religion: God is the sun, but it's what we find beauty in, what the sun shines upon, that's how we believe God to exist. No two people will have the same love for God as each of our beliefs are custom made by us and for us alone. I believe this is how God should be. I believe this is how God is, universally loving, yet intimately personal for each of us.
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You have a simple and pure understanding and view of God and life. Don't let go of that. The world always needs people like you.
"Lord who can grasp all of the wealth of just one of your words? What we understand is much less than we leave behind, like thirsty people who drink from a fountain. For your word Lord has many shades of meaning, just as those who study have many different points of view. The Lord has colored his word with many views so that each person who studies it can see in it what he loves. He has hidden many treasures in His word so that each of us is enriched as we meditate on it. The word of God is a tree of life that from all its parts offers you fruit that is blessed. It is like that rock opened in the desert that from all its parts gave forth a spiritual drink. He who comes into contact with some share of its treasure should not think that the only thing contained in the word is what he himself has found. He should realize that he has only been able to find that one thing from among many others. Nor because only that one part has become his should he say that the word is void and empty and look down upon it. But because he could not exhaust it, he should give thanks for it riches and be glad that you were overcome and do not be sad that it overcame you. The thirsty man rejoices when he drinks and is not downcasts because he can not empty the fountain. Rather let the fountain quench your thirst then have your thirst quench the fountain because if your thirst is quenched when the fountain is not exhausted, you can drink from it again whenever your thirsty. But if when your thirst is quenched the fountain also is dried up, your victory will bode evil for you. So be grateful for what you have received and don't grumble about the abundance left behind. What you have received and what you have reached is your share and what remains is your heritage. What at one time you were unable to receive because of your weakness, you will be able to receive at other times if you persevere. Do not have the presumption to try to take in one draft what can not be taken in one draft and do not abandon out of laziness what you may only consume little by little."
-St. Ephrem
sorry that was alot, but it kind of relates to this blog.
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