'You can see His handiwork in the bees': Buzzing about honey bees and faith

Beekeepers across the province are coming together in Winnipeg today to celebrate their work, and one beekeeper says the craft has brought him closer to God.

Michael Clark is an apiarist living in Wawanesa, Man. Beekeeping has been in Clark's family for three generations and the Clarks have been doing it for over 100 years. 

"I would say faith and bees do connect," says Clark. "Being in nature and seeing God's creation, it's really hard to deny that there is a designer, especially inside a bee hive. It says the heavens declare His glory but the firmament shows His handiwork, and you can really see His handiwork in the bees."

There are just under 1,000 apiarists in Manitoba. Producing honey through bees is how Clark makes a living, but it also provides ample opportunity to grow his faith. 

"Communication is more than just dance with the bees. They vibrate around the honeycomb. They're telling longitude, latitude, distance, windspeed, and how much nectar is at the source. I read an article that outside of humans, bees have the most language in the animal kingdom, for transferring information."

Clark helps produce honey commercially through Bee Maid. He has also taken note of the many honey references made in the Bible. 

"It talks about God's word as being honey to our lips and it's sweet but it can also sour in our stomach. Sometimes you take correction and none of us like correction. Throughout scripture, with Samson and everywhere it mentions bees and honey."

Clark alongside other apiarists will be at Little Brown Jug in Winnipeg on Wednesday, May 29 from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. to talk about honey bees and their importance to our lives. The minister of Agriculture will also be on hand to acknowledge the work of apiaries in Manitoba.