The New River – Morning Mist
Revelation 21 & 22
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The River of Life
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
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Taking The Scenic Route Through Life
I suppose it all starts with the name. Because you see, the New River, which courses its way across the spectacular landscapes of North Carolina and Virginia, is, rather amusingly, not very new at all. In fact, it’s widely considered to be among the oldest rivers in the world, tracing its lineage back some hundreds of millions of years, give or take an eon or two.
The irony in the name arises from the fact that when the European settlers arrived, they called it the ‘New River’ simply because it was the new river they discovered. An example of human simplicity if you will.
According to the scientists, those lovable lab-coat clad individuals who speak in terms only slightly more decipherable than an intoxicated groundhog, the New River is a venerable old geezer. It’s believed to have gracefully resisted the tectonic uplift that formed the Appalachian Mountains. The waterway’s course is a flowing testament to geologic rebellion, running south to north, in open defiance of its many eastern seaboard brethren.
Stretching for a respectable 360 miles, it meanders through gorges, valleys, and placid farmland, as if the river, not quite ready to concede to the ravages of time, is taking the scenic route through life. And what a life it must’ve been, witnessing the wax and wane of epochs, the dance of dinosaurs, the rise and fall of civilizations, all while carrying on with the soothing, persistent murmur of flowing water.
It’s a delightful spectacle of nature, whether you’re standing on the edge gazing into its depths, or better yet, paddling along its course. The section near the New River State Park in North Carolina provides a heavenly kayaking experience. With an easy gradient, it caters to a wide range of kayakers, from those with the overconfidence of beginners to the well-worn, sea-salt-in-the-veins sort of veterans. Not to mention, it’s also blessed with some of the most breathtaking scenery you could ask for, a nature’s art gallery curated by the hands of time.
As I paddled down this ancient waterway, taking in the limestone cliffs and evergreen forests lining its banks, the sun warming my skin, the water cooling my heels, I felt an immense sense of calmness. It’s easy to see why our pagan ancestors might have regarded rivers as gods. They are potent and gentle, dangerous and comforting, old and yet, forever new.
So there you have it – the New River. An old, winding trail of water with a youthful spirit, a place where time has meandered in strange loops and swirls, much like the river itself. A reminder of the past and an inspiration for the present, just waiting for us to dip in our paddles and join the flow. Because that’s the thing about rivers, they’re always on the go, much like life. And as the old saying goes, you can never step into the same river twice.
Several weeks ago, before the Canadian ‘Cannabis’ smoke came South, I shot this drone video of the New River and one of its many tributaries.
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Celebrating God’s God Creation