Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I The Sunday Guardian I 7th April 2013 I Page 12

One of the three astronauts who travelled on the Apollo 15 American spacecraft was Colonel James Irwin. He later described the magic of that moment, in August 1972, when he set foot on the moon.

It was an ecstatic experience, he said, to feel oneself in God's presence, to feel so close to Him that His greatness appeared before one's eyes.

Colonel Irwin did not look on his voyage to the moon as a voyage of mere scientific discovery; it had given him a new spiritual life as well.

Colonel Irwin's experience was not a unique one, for in truth, all that God has created is so wonderful that one has only to gaze upon it to become lost in the wonders of what He has fashioned.

The face of the Creator shines continually in the perfection of his creation. But by observing the world around us from an early age we become accustomed to it; we take it so much for granted that we fail to perceive its uniqueness. People do not look on the world with true wonderment. If we were to look with awe on this world, then we would live on earth as if we were in God's presence.

In order to see God in His creation, we too have to look at everything, not as old and familiar, but new and exciting; we have to look at things as if we are seeing them for the first time. There is no greater discovery than the discovery of God, no greater realisation than to feel Him everywhere. When this realisation is awakened, then everything becomes a reflection of His glory. The sunshine will portray His light, the trees His beauty.

One will feel His gentle touch in the winds as they caress one's body. God is, indeed, everywhere, but only those who are blessed with vision can behold Him.