For The Beauty of the Earth

I saw something today I have always wanted to see: a swarm of honey bees.  Swarming happens when an old queen leaves the hive and takes 1,500 to 30,000 bees with her.   I think it happens more or less annually, and is the way hives reproduce themselves.

The bees I saw had gathered on the branch of tree forming a constantly moving mass of bees about the size of a basketball. 

Knowing how few honeybees I see these days compared to my youth, and having read about the dramatic declines in honeybee populations, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’ll ever see bees swarm again.

It made me think of another one of my favorite prayers that goes like this:

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of
earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains,
and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers.
We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may
safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue
to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation,
to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, page 840)

Comments

[Dean A. Anderson]

Hey Rob,
I'm not such a fan of honey bee swarms. When I was in ninth grade I was mowing my lawn, while at the same time one of our neighbors was in his field working with his bees. Suddenly, the bees, appartently perturbed by the sound of the power mower swarmed around me and the mower. I ran to get a hose to spray the bees off me. I only got one sting, right below my left eye, which was then swollen shut. The next day was class pictures.
Yes, like the honey, don't want a precious part of the creation to die off, but I'm still not a fan of the bee swarms.