Blue Planet

 What's better than watching the Blue Planet on TV?

Watching it on the big screen in the Eurodam's theatre with orchestral accompaniment composed by Hans Zimmer and augmented by the ship's own piano quartet! 

Tonight we were treated to stunning underwater photography, showing us weird and wonderful creatures from the ocean's floor. It always amazes me how often those unseen things that thrive in those dark, cold depths are alive with color and inventive shapes and body styles. As a Christian, I feel it points me to a loving and creative God who is endlessly working in unseen ways.  

And in another segment, we followed the trials of a mother walrus and her calf as they sought some place, either an ice floe or pebbled beach, to rest. At one point, the calf was so exhausted it sank beneath the waves. Its mother scooped it up with her front flippers, and clasped it to her to hold its nose above water, while treading to stay afloat with just her hind flippers. Obviously, the walrus is capable of great feeling and compassion for her baby.

Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist, describes this type of living creature in his book, Why the Universe is the Way it is:

Genesis 1 also refers to the physical and soulish category of life by the Hebrew term "nepesh."   This is the word used for “soulish” creatures, or animals with the capacity for a limited range of thought, choice, and feeling

"Soulish" seems like a good word to describe certain types of creatures. Just as we are a little lower than the angels, so they are a little lower than we. But only a little. 

Anyway, seeing this incredible program has made me feel ashamed of my fussiness over the whole masking debacle. I'm still chafing under it, but now I realize instead of grumbling,  I need to look at the beautiful, the exciting, the wondrous things I'm privileged to enjoy.

Again, I apologize for the lack of photos. We've opted not to purchase Wifi on the ship because it's spendy and unreliable. This is not a problem unique to HAL. It seems all ships are experiencing problems right now that probably have to do with increased solar activity. I will add photos once we get home.