Every wave of the sea is free. Every river on earth proclaims its own liberty. The independent trees own nothing and are owned by no one and they lift up their leafy heads in peace and exultation. Never were two of them alike. Never were two leaves of the same tree identical. Never were two cells of the same leaf exactly the same. Because the trees grow the way they like: and all things do the things they do for the pleasure of God. Yet He does not need to find pleasure in His creation. But we use the word pleasure, and we say He is pleased, because in all these things His liberality and wisdom and mercy take their pleasure in His own infinite freedom.

God, without being touched by them, without being mixed in with His creatures, without descending Himself to the level of their joy, shares with them His secret, His innocence, His being, His mystery. That is what we mean by glory. That is what His creatures have to give Him: glory. But what is glory? God's glory is God in them without touching them. God in them without being touched by them. God giving them everything and retaining His own infinite separation. God being their Father without being related to them. They are related to Him, but never come near Him Who is within them. God's glory and God's shyness are one. His glory is to give them everything and to be in the midst of them as unknown.