We put pictures of trees on our calendars. God has pictures of subway cars filled with people.

Just a few weeks ago I went fishing in Algonquin park. Bry, his brother Scott and me and Matty loaded the car to the roof (literally!) after our St. G -Milton service and drove up to Smoke Lake. After a 3 1/2 hour drive we arrived at the boat launch, emptied the car. loaded the boat and set out for the Hunt’s cottage. We piled into the freezing cold cottage around midnight, tucked the littlest dude into his bed and stayed up late for some grace-filled dude-bonding time; the kind of time you can only have with faithful brothers in the wilds of the park.

The next morning we awoke to fresh, crisp air and a calm, cold lake reflecting the brilliant autumn colours on the surrounding hills. We spent most of the day on the lake, canoeing and trolling for lake trout.

I am telling this story to paint a picture in your mind. If you are like me, just the description of such a time and place evokes deep emotion. Is there anything more beautiful than Algonquin park in early October? The lakes, the trees, the wildlife all sing out the glory of their creator. Now that’s beauty.

So, now back to reality — my suburban reality anyway.

After a few days at home and back into my rhythm Smoke lake seems a lifetime away. Sitting in people-crowded coffee shops, phones ringing off the hook, emails piling up at a rate of over 100 per day, conference calls, crisscrossing the continent for meetings all make my simple soul cry out for the beauty of solitude. A lake, a canoe, a fishing rod and trees.

Stationary bikes are a recent addition to my suburban life (that’s a blog post for another day). Sweating at the gym gives me time to listen to my iPod — usually the daily office or the bible in a year. But last week I listened to a teaching by Tim Keller, recommended to me by Joe Biggar (the king of online sermons!). Tim’s teaching changed me.

He was looking at the story of Jonah and the great city of Nineveh. His big point was that God cares about redeeming cities — a good point and one well-made by a master orator.

He arrived at the point in the story where Jonah is angry that God had relented and spared Nineveh despite their half-hearted repentance. Jonah’s anger was compounded by the wilting of his shade plant that had grown for his comfort over night.

Highlighting the difference between men and God, Keller said something like this (my paraphrase, not a direct quote), “We put pictures of trees (and plants) on our calendars. God has pictures of subway cars filled with people.”

His point — God cares about nature, He created it and will redeem it along with everything else; but his crowing creation, the thing most beautiful in his eyes is not the autumn scene in Algonquin park. God revels in the beauty of people.

Crowded cities, sprawling suburbs — now that’s beautiful to the Master.

Can we see our cities and our towns the way God sees them? Does finding yourself in a crowded coffee shop or a packed subway car evoke the same awe and wonder as sitting in a canoe surrounded by trees and water?

God, give me eyes to see the beauty of the city and a heart that beats for the loveliness of the people for whom Christ died.