Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, May 21, 2026
This flowering tree caught my attention in the church parking because of the pink petals on the ground. Looking up, this amazing view met my eyes and then my phone’s camera sensor. Once again, the landscape planners knew what they were doing when they selected these trees to plant in a row.
It is always fun to spot flowers where a backlight is shining through. In this case, it reminded me of an article in the May 9, 2026 issue of New Scientist titled “Quantum Crystals.” In the 1970’s, explorers found some crystals in a cave near Anarak, Iran where light reflected as a bluish-green glow. After the initial excitement of finding a new mineral, the crystals were set aside. Recently scientists have been analyzing them for their special quantum properties which I don’t really understand. The hope is that it will lead to better quantum computers.
As the creator, God intricately knows the properties of light and how it interacts with matter. Just look at the flowers around us this spring. I believe they inspire a healthy dose of wonder and discovery in learning about the natural reality where we live.
Considering that God fully understands physical light, we can look at his teaching as light for interacting with others that he also fully understands. John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” Let’s admit we don’t understand nature, or God’s teaching about love, but we can keep digging for more knowledge.