22nd July 2022

Over the last twenty years or so Pauline and I have enjoyed many cruises, taking us all over the world. Our first cruise was to Alaska, where we were able to enjoy a flight in a small aeroplane over the wonderful glaciers and mountain scenery. As we flew over this marvellous terrain, the theme music of our flight was Louis Armstrong singing “What a wonderful world”:

I see trees so green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

 I see skies so blue and clouds so white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do.
They’re really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know.

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I was reminded of this happy memory recently when the song was used as the theme tune of a serial on the radio. It also reminded me of some of the Psalms – such as Psalm 24:

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof;

The world and they that dwell therein.

There are lots of worrying things demanding our attention – and our prayers – at present; war in Ukraine, soaring food and fuel prices at home, refugees. But it surely does no harm occasionally to just put those to one side for a short time and thank God for all the good things in his created earth.

David T Roberts