Although it's the color of the leaves that steals the show in October, it's the sunlight that delights my soul.
Let me explain.
The light is different in October. The sun's angle is unique—or at least equal to that of mid-April—and it seems to illuminate the world differently. I'm much more able to describe this phenomenon in poetic terms than in an astrologically astute manner. I know that I should channel my earth science lessons from my youth, but alas, the sun's precise angle and measurements with the earth's galactic positioning eludes me. All that I can testify to is that the sunlight feels different in October than it does at most any other time of the year.
How the sun shines in the leaves and how it illuminates the forest floor softens reality and warms my perspective. The sun shifts the mountains' contours and casts shadows in romantic, rather than harsh, tones. The forest canopy glows a golden hue, and even the tired green of summer appears refreshed and renewed. The water sparkles and gleams in the mid-day light, and rocks are bathed in mountain streams so clear that creek beds seem magnified and illusory.
No, it's not the cooler temperatures, and it's not the smell of woodsmoke and the crackle of fallen leaves that make this season so heart-wrenchingly beautiful. October is a magical time in our mountains because of the light and how it shapes our focus.
Psalm 36 captures the moment far better than I ever could:
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
God is the fountain of life; in God's light we see light.
Autumn's sunlight changes how we see and experience the world. The fallen trees and rotting timbers are changed and transformed by the light. The imperfections of nature now become attributes. Erosion and decay are mistaken for beauty. God's creation begs us to quite literally, see things in a different light.
Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:1) God's light in Jesus, like the sunlight in October, enables us to see and experience the world differently than others. How we see ourselves, see one another, and see the world around us is changed by God's light.
…In God's light we see light.
In October, God gives us the gift of light. And in shifting how we see the mountains and the vibrancy of colors that have been there all the time, God begs us to have eyes to see as Christ's light enables us to see.
Get outside this week. Close your eyes and turn your face to a sun that is lower in the sky. Feel the warmth of God's love for us in Jesus. Then look around. See how your vision is changing—delight in this gift.
And be at peace.
