Long-dead sea creatures and stonemasons

Nothing is wasted, not even the countless marine organisms, most of them microscopic, that died and fell to the bottom of the warm sea that covered southern England. Their skeletons, compacted under pressure over millions of years became limestone. 

Thanks to the inspiration of J and his creative prayers in church this morning my Lent thankfulness post today is for coccolithophores, foraminifera, ostracods, molluscs and the like. Not what I was expecting to feel thankful for today, but it caught my imagination.

As I looked at the new limestone floor under my feet and the old pillars faced with limestone that support the high church roof over my head I had a sense of the continuity of life and life renewed. In conversation over coffee after the service J brushed a pillar with his finger, showed me the chalky dust on it and said 'and they are all still here and useful'. 

So today I am grateful for long-dead marine organisms and for skilled stonemasons.

Image Credit: wikipedia, CC License

Comments

  1. Ray Barnes24 February 2013 at 22:20

    Extraordinary picture, it looks freshly knitted!

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    Replies
    1. Nancy Wallace25 February 2013 at 16:17

      Yes it does look knitted. The green colour is artificial - lighting or tweaking in some other way. The natural colour is I think white.

      Delete
  2. Archdruid Eileen25 February 2013 at 20:06

    There's a lovely scene in Hardy's "A Pair of Blue Eyes" where one of the protagonists is holding on for dear life after falling over a cliff, and comes face to face with a fossil in the rock-face. The original "cliff-hanger".

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