This is a common question on get-to-know-you either/or lists. Up until a few years ago, I was a firm member of team mountains. Having lived in Tennessee all my life, I have been surrounded by the beauty of the mountains. In high school and college, I had the privilege to take a few trips to Alaska and a trip to Hungary with a brief stay in Salzburg, Austria. On every trip, I was in awe of the sheer beauty and grandeur of the mountains, much taller than I had ever seen in the eastern United States. On the other hand, when it came to the ocean, I only had vague childhood memories of scary waves and sand that got everywhere.
In 2021, my family took a trip to the beach to get away and relax after the stress of 2020. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect and mainly looked forward to reading by the pool where we were staying. But from the moment I walked onto that beach, I was mesmerized. Everything from the vastness of the ocean, the unpredictable pattern of the waves, to the feel of the wet sand beneath my toes captivated me. After a long year of staying indoors with limited travel, it was wonderful to be awed by such beauty. My whole family loved that vacation, and we have made that location a regular visit. Now I have a hard time choosing between mountains and beach. Both are magnificent in completely different ways, and I have had amazing experiences surrounded by both.
Why is it that the mountains and the ocean captivate us so? Why do we often choose to visit places that feature one of the two? As human beings designed in the image of God, we are drawn to appreciate beauty, but I think it is more than that. There is greatness in the height of the mountains, mystery in the depths of the sea, and power in the might of both. The mountains and oceans point us to God.
In Romans, Paul writes that all creation points to God: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Rom. 1:20 ESV). But not only does creation point to God, His power is demonstrated through His command over creation. Throughout Scripture, the mountains and the seas are used to demonstrate the power of God. The following is a sampling:
“The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth” (Ps. 97:5).
“May the Lord rejoice in his works, who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke!” (Ps. 104:31-32).
“It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains” (Is. 2:2).
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” (Is. 40:12).
“The mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing” (Is. 55:12).
“O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves” (Ps. 65: 5-7).
“Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!” (Ps. 93:4)
“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ’Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:39-41).
“When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened” (John 6:19).
The greatness, mystery, and power of mountains and seas point to God, but their great power is unmatched by the power of the Creator who formed them. Whether you’re going on vacation to the mountains or the beach this summer or staying here in the hills of Tennessee, let yourself take a moment to take in the majesty of creation. Stand in awe of beauty you cannot understand, then let it remind you of the unmatched power of God.
--Concetta Swann
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