Today I’d like to use three “favorites” to remind you of an important truth, that truth being that every day we have a chance to experience anew God’s Creation. When we think of God creating we typically think of the distant past but in reality the process of Creation is ongoing. We are all witnesses to God’s ever developing Creation.
One of my favorite writers, John Muir, recognized this. He once wrote: “I used to envy the father of our race, dwelling as he did in contact with the new-made fields and plants of Eden; but I do so no more, because I have discovered that I also live in ‘creation’s dawn.’ The morning stars still sing together, and the world, not yet half made, becomes more beautiful every day.”
One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, likewise lives with the recognition that we live in ‘creation’s dawn.” She writes in “Morning Poem” this observation: “Every morning the world is created. Under the orange sticks of the sun the heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again and fasten themselves to the high branches—and the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies. If it is your nature to be happy you will swim away along the soft trails for hours, your imagination alighting everywhere. And if your spirit carries within it the thorn that is heavier than lead—if it’s all you can do to keep on trudging—there is still somewhere deep within you a beast shouting that the earth is exactly what is wanted—each pond with its blazing lilies is a prayer heard and answered lavishly, every morning, whether or not you have ever dared to be happy, whether or not you have ever dared to pray.”
One of my favorite hymns has been reminding people of this truth for many years. It is called “Morning Has Broken.” Here are the words of this wonderful hymn penned by Eleanor Farjeon: “Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where God’s feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day!”
Hopefully we can all remember each day the privilege we have to live in Creation’s dawn and will make sure that we offer the Creator all the love and praise He deserves.
–Chuck
(I took the top image early one morning at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. The middle image of water lilies was taken at Land Between the Lakes NRA in western Kentucky. I took the bottom image at dawn at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains NP.)
Yesterday I received a box of books in the mail from Amazon. Two of the books I purchased were by Richard Rohr. I have never read anything by this author but recently I keep coming across his name in other books and magazines so I decided to buy a couple of his books. One of the books I purchased is called The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See. When I was looking through this book I noticed that there was a chapter called “Three Ways to View the Sunset.” I knew right away I had to read it.
In this chapter Rohr discusses a variety of ways a person can experience a sunset. Some, he says, see the physical beauty and enjoy the event in itself. Others, he says, also enjoy the physical beauty but go on to employ reason and view it through imagination, intuition and reason. Still others are able to see the sunset with both these capacities but also remain “in awe before an underlying mystery, coherence, and spaciousness” that connect them with everything else. Rohr refers to this as the “third eye” which “is the full goal of all seeing and all knowing.”
In medieval times names were given to these three ways of seeing by Hugh of St. Victor and Richard of St. Victor. “The first eye was the eye of the flesh (thought or sight), the second was the eye of reason (meditation or reflection), and the third eye was the eye of true understanding (contemplation).” It should be obvious that what is being discussed here transcends just viewing God’s Creation. It takes in far more. Still, I think that there are, indeed, different levels of seeing Creation and that we should strive to incorporate all three levels in our experience.
Rohr writes at one point: “If people have ignored the first and the second eyes, their hold on the third eye is often temporary, shallow, and incapable of being shared with anybody else. We need true mystics who see with all three sets of eyes, not eccentrics, fanatics, or rebels. The true mystic is always both humble and compassionate, for she knows that she does not know.” If we want to truly “see” Creation we will need to use all three ways of seeing. First, we must make good use of our senses (something we don’t always do). Second, we should take the time to learn about what we are seeing. Third, if we are wise we will also go on to make ourselves open to the God who is in, behind and above Creation. We will not just use our senses and mind to experience Creation, we will also engage the soul.
A hymn I have sung since childhood is “Open My Eyes That I May See” by Clara H. Scott. Although the words transcend seeing Creation, I feel that when we find ourselves in nature we might be wise to sing: “Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!” Doing so might very well make viewing sunsets, waterfalls, flowers, wildlife, or any other part of God’s Creation a truly marvelous occasion. Doing so we may well see far more than we ever have before.
–Chuck
(Above I’ve included three sunset images I have taken. The top one was photographed at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. The middle one was taken on the banks of the Mississippi River in western Kentucky. The bottom image was taken at Hensley Settlement in Cumberland Gap NHP.)
Last night I returned to a book I’ve been reading off and on lately, Gardening Eden. In one of the chapters I read the author, Michael Abbate, writes about creation care as worship. He says, “The creation should drive us to our knees. Not to worship it, but to worship the One who made it happen. His genius, His power, His wisdom. All of which combined to cause creation’s beauty, creation’s diversity, creation’s order. But really seeing the creation takes awareness on our part; we have to pay attention.” Abbate goes on to list a number of steps along creation’s path to worship. The first of these is something you read about a lot here on this blog—“opening our eyes to see the real beauty that exists in the world around us.” It is the second step he mentions that I want to focus on today.
The second step Abbate lists is solitude. Here he makes this interesting claim: “Being able to see the beauty in the world around us requires that we open our eyes, but observation is even more powerful if we are alone with our thoughts.” I have long been familiar with solitude as a spiritual discipline but have not necessarily connected it to seeing Creation. Abbate makes a convincing case for this. He says “Solitude can enhance our appreciation of the environment. Time spent alone can be a powerful way to remove the distractions that commonly prevent us from approaching God in a fully yielding, open way. Spending time alone in creation allows our minds to reflect on the majesty of creation and the omnipotence of the Creator. Our minds can be re-created, refreshed, and recharged. Richard Foster calls this ‘the re-creating stillness of solitude.’”
Later in this section Abbate notes that in today’s world replacing noise with stillness is a challenge. That is undoubtedly true. Earlier this week I was reading the most recent issue of The Christian Century. One of the articles that caught my eye is called “Tech Detox: Unplugged at Church Camp.” The author, Andrew Scott, writes about how difficult it is for teenagers—and their counselors—to go to Christian camps during the summer and give up their cell phones and ipods. So many people have become addicted to these. As noted in the article, “the problem is not the technology itself but the culture of multitasking and instant communication that makes it hard for campers to pay attention to what is happening at camp and to be fully present with one another.” In this article Scott also quotes camp director Rhonda Parker as saying, “Living life is so much better than watching it. To be attentive to the world takes time, and that can’t be cultivated by looking at a two-by-three inch screen.” Another camp director added, “Technology is an addiction, and there is something good about the isolation of a wilderness experience. Camp is the last place where kids can reclaim an intentional space of connection, and it’s almost a revolutionary idea.”
Both kids and adults can benefit from time alone in Creation without their phones and other devices to distract them. If it is our goal to worship the Creator we should be disciplined enough to “unplug” and “go it alone” from time to time. For many this will not be easy but I learned a long time ago that the things in life that really count rarely do come easy. Another lesson I’ve learned is that great rewards often come through the path of discipline and sacrifice. And since I know of no greater reward than the opportunity to experience and encounter the Maker of heaven and earth I would think spending time alone with God in nature would be well worth whatever sacrifice that might entail, be that at a summer camp or wherever else you might find solitude in God’s Creation.
–Chuck
(The top image, which symbolizes solitude for me, was taken at Great Smoky Mountains NP. The bottom two pictures were taken at Disciple campgrounds in Kentucky, Camp Wakonda-Ho and Camp Kum-Ba-Ya.)
Last week I purchased a new lawn mower. I decided that it would help if I “practiced what I preach” so I purchased an electric model. I liked the idea that an electric mower emitted no carbon, something gas-powered mowers are notorious for. On Monday the new mower arrived and I assembled it. I plugged the Energy Star charger in and looked forward to mowing on Tuesday. When the mower started right up with the push of a button I was elated. I was thrilled with the way the mower handled. Although it is not self-propelled it is light and easy to use. All was going well until forty-five minutes later the mower stopped. I had used up all of its energy and still had a third of the yard still to mow. I wasn’t a happy camper.
I found it very disappointing that the battery on my new electric mower would not allow me to mow the entire yard at one time. Nor did it help when I learned that it takes a very long time for the same battery to recharge. It became quickly apparent that mowing my yard would now always be a two day affair. I must confess that I had thoughts about packing the mower up and shipping it back. But then I remembered the reason I had purchased the mower in the first place. With this new mower I would no longer be adding pollution to the atmosphere. So I had to make a choice. Would I continue to use a mower that generated pollution but enabled me to mow my yard at one time, or would I endure the inconvenience of having to mow two days in a row (weather permitting) and not pollute the air? I chose the latter option. In the end I had to conclude that though the electric mower did create an inconvenience for me it was worth it in the end if it helped God’s Creation.
As I have reflected on this further it has made me realize that one of the reasons we find the world in the mess it is relates to the fact that we don’t like being inconvenienced. God’s Creation often suffers because we are not willing to make sacrifices that will be beneficial to the earth. This can be true when we are choosing what vehicle to drive (or if we will drive at all), whether we recycle, or what foods we will purchase. In many of the decisions we make we really don’t stop to ask, how will this affect the earth?
I would argue that the earth is worth making sacrifices for and Scripture certainly backs this claim. One of the most familiar passages in the Bible says “For God so loved the world He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Yes, God loved the world (not just humans) so much that He made the ultimate sacrifice—He gave His only Son. If God loved the world enough to make that kind of sacrifice, surely we ought to love it enough to make some sacrifices as well.
We tend to be willing to make sacrifices for those we love most. Parents make incredible sacrifices for their children. Soldiers make great sacrifices for their country. Friends often make noble sacrifices for one another. Our failure to make more sacrifices for the environment leads me to believe that most of us do not love the earth as we should. For Christians who know of God’s indescribable love for the world, this is inexcusable. It is time we sought to love the world as God loves it—which means being willing to make some sacrifices for its welfare. I will try to remember that every time I mow…
–Chuck
(I took the top two images last August in lavendar fields on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. The bottom image is my new mower.)
Chuck’s last two posts especially connected with me. There is so much on this wonderful Earth that has little to do with us but everything to do with God. I am saddened at times when we people want to make everything “ours” and make the world act at our bidding as if it were “our world.” This causes no end of problems as we seek to control what is not ours to control. I believe we gain much joy when we, as Chuck suggests, take the Royal Road of wonder about this amazing home we call Earth.
That wonder extends, for me, down to the smallest creatures, sometimes life that we as people don’t always understand or like. This is much easier to show than tell, so here is a video I did about a special little critter who definitely represents the ideas in the hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful.
And here is the part of the hymn that is quoted in the video:
Over the years many have commented on the importance of wonder in our lives. In one of his recent books Sam Keen wrote: “Wonder is the alpha and the omega of the human mind. It stands at the beginning and end of our quest to understand ourselves and the world. Aristotle said philosophy begins in wonder. It is the most primal of emotions, at once ordinary and disturbing. As the sixth sense, the natural religious sense, wonder is the royal road that leads us to the other elemental emotions, and thus to a renewed sense of the sacred.”
I like Keen’s description of wonder as “the royal road” that leads us to a renewed sense of the sacred. It rings true to my experience. And nowhere has wonder raised its wonderful head more often for me than in the world of nature. There are so many things I have seen that have left me breathless, so many things I’ve experienced in Creation that have left me feeling humbled and aware of the greatness of God.
It has happened as I’ve watched humpback whales bubble feeding in the Inside Passage, as I have peered down into Utah’s Bryce Canyon, as I have stood beneath the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and as I have watched the northern lights in Alaska. I have experienced deep wonder observing a meteor shower late at night, and while watching a glorious sunrise early in the morning. I have stood in awe and wonder before calving glaciers, erupting geysers, soaring eagles and foraging bears. I have experienced wonder watching thousands of snow geese rise suddenly at one time in New Mexico and while observing fascinating formations deep within a cave. I will never forget how looking at Saturn through a small telescope in my youth made my heart skip a beat. Even the beauty and intricacies of tiny flowers and insects have moved me in wonder.
I know that my experiences are not unique. Countless others have had similar experiences. Even the Psalmist wrote of this. David said to God, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8: 3-4) The world God has made is wonder-full. Everywhere we look there are things that provoke wonder and move us toward the Creator. I’m convinced this was God’s intention from the beginning. Since God is Spirit and we cannot see Him He chose to make it easier for us by placing within His Creation countless things that will move us to a “sense of the sacred.” He has provided a “royal road” that will lead us to Himself if we will follow it to its end. Just the fact that God would do this leaves me full of wonder. How about you?
–Chuck
(I chosen three images to illustrate some of my moments of wonder. The top is Grand Geyser erupting at Yellowstone NP. The middle image is an “explosion” of snow geese at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. I took the bottom image at Bryce Canyon NP.)
Today I’d like to use three “favorites” to remind you of an important truth, that truth being that every day we have a chance to experience anew God’s Creation. When we think of God creating we typically think of the distant past but in reality the process of Creation is ongoing. We are all witnesses to God’s ever developing Creation.
One of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, likewise lives with the recognition that we live in ‘creation’s dawn.” She writes in “Morning Poem” this observation: “Every morning the world is created. Under the orange sticks of the sun the heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again and fasten themselves to the high branches—and the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies. If it is your nature to be happy you will swim away along the soft trails for hours, your imagination alighting everywhere. And if your spirit carries within it the thorn that is heavier than lead—if it’s all you can do to keep on trudging—there is still somewhere deep within you a beast shouting that the earth is exactly what is wanted—each pond with its blazing lilies is a prayer heard and answered lavishly, every morning, whether or not you have ever dared to be happy, whether or not you have ever dared to pray.”
One of my favorite hymns has been reminding people of this truth for many years. It is called “Morning Has Broken.” Here are the words of this wonderful hymn penned by Eleanor Farjeon: “Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where God’s feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day!”
