Today is the first day of fall. Here in western Kentucky it certainly feels like it. All of a sudden the temperature has dropped significantly, the wind is blowing, and the leaves are falling. I am so thankful to live in an area that has four distinct seasons and I always look forward to the arrival of autumn.
In recent days I have seen a familiar meme reappear on social media. It says “The trees are about to remind us how lovely it is to let things go.” I think there is something powerful to this quote. In each of our lives there are things we need to let go of. Things that hold us back and keep us from experiencing the joy and abundant life God intends for us. As I look at my own life I see a number of things I need to let go of. Let me mention just a few…
First, I need to let go of anger. We live in very divisive time. It seems like just about everyone is angry at someone or some group. Unfortunately, I find myself feeling this anger periodically as well. Anger is one of the Seven Deadly Sins and for good reason. It can kill the soul and relationships quicker than anything. The Bible speaks to us of the dangers of anger. At one point the apostle Paul warned, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Ephesians 4:26) What did Paul mean by this? He meant we should not hold on to our anger, that we should let it go. There will be little joy and peace in our lives as long as we remain angry. If there is anger in your life, it is time to let it go.
Second, I need to let go of my pride. The pride which is a sin causes people to think that the world revolves around them. They tend to think too much of themselves and not enough about others. Here, too, I am guilty. I do not always give others the love and attention I should. My foolish pride gets in the way. The fact that pride is also one of the Seven Deadly Sins leads me to believe that this is a common struggle. I know my life would be richer and more meaningful if I could learn to let go of my selfish pride.
Third, I need to let go of regret. In life all of us make mistakes. We all do things we shouldn’t and many people go on to live their life with the heavy burden of regret or remorse. Even years after we’ve messed up we still beat ourselves up over our failures. I admit that I struggle with this. Although we should always learn from our past mistakes, we should not hold on to them. God doesn’t want us to. The Scriptures make it clear that God forgives us and that we are to forgive ourselves as well. The simple truth is that the past can’t be changed. It does us no good to hold on to it. When it comes to our regrets, now would be a good time to let them go.
I could go on listing things I need to let go of. My tree has many leaves that need to fall. I share my truncated list just to get me (and hopefully you) thinking about the things that need to be let go. As you see the trees shedding their leaves this fall let them remind you of the things you need to let go of. Autumn teaches us that we’re not intended to carry all that weight. It truly is a lovely thing to let things go that are dragging us down. I hope you have a wonderful fall. Blessings!
I have a friend who in all his correspondence with me concludes with the words “walk in beauty.” I’ve read enough Tony Hillerman novels to know that this is an important phrase in Navajo life. The words come from a Navajo ceremony called Beautyway. To walk in beauty means to walk in harmony with all living things, to live in harmony with God, with nature, with others and with self. There is a lovely Navajo prayer that includes these words: “With beauty before me, may I walk. With beauty behind me, may I walk. With beauty below me, may I walk. With beauty above me, may I walk. With beauty all around me, may I walk.” I find these words to be both powerful and instructive. I happen to believe that we are all challenged to walk in beauty. It is, however, easier said than done.
Why is living in harmony with all living things so difficult? Perhaps the Scriptures give us some clues. If you go back to the story of the Fall in Genesis 3 you see that the introduction of sin in Eden destroyed the harmony God intended for Creation. That sin was basically humanity’s decision to put the will of self before the will of God. In one word that sin was pride. That same pride displayed in the Garden of Eden continues to be manifested in each of our lives. We all have a tendency to put our will above that of God or that of others. That pride results in discord. Where pride raises its ugly head beauty and harmony are always found lacking.
Today many see nature as something to be used, not cherished and preserved. Sad to say, the same thing can be said for our relationships with others. Far worse, the same thing can be said for our relationship with our Creator.
I am convinced that until we find harmony with God we will not find harmony with self, others, or nature. There must be peace in the center before there can be peace beyond. Unfortunately, a lot of people leave God out of the equation. To walk in beauty surely we should start with our Maker.
In Psalm 27:4 David says “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord…” When we focus on the beauty of the Lord everything else falls into place. We begin to see the true beauty in ourselves. We begin to see the true beauty in others. We begin to see the true beauty in nature. This vision is what enables us to “walk in beauty” and to live our lives in peace and harmony.
I realize that I may not be doing justice to the Navajo concept of walking in beauty but this is how I understand the concept. It is my prayer that I and everyone else may come to walk in beauty. If we did, what a wonderful world it would be.
–Chuck
I took the images shown above on a trip earlier this week to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway.
As Thanksgiving Day approaches I’d like to ask you what your current level of contentment is. I ask this because I happen to believe that there is a direct correlation between thanksgiving and contentment. This belief was reaffirmed last night when I came across the following prayer found in Edward Hays’ book, Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim. Hays writes, “O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher, for I wish to learn the virtue of contentment. As I gaze upon your full-colored beauty, I sense all about you an at-homeness with your amber riches. You are the season of retirement, of full barns and harvested fields. The cycle of growth has ceased, and the busy work of giving life is now completed. I sense in you no regrets: you’ve lived a full life. I live in a society that is ever-restless, always eager for more mountains to climb, seeking happiness through more and more possessions. As a child of my culture, I am seldom truly at peace with what I have. Teach me to take stock of what I have given and received, may I know that it’s enough, that my striving can cease in the abundance of God’s grace. May I know the contentment that allows the totality of my energies to come to full flower. May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure…”
Hays is right; we can all learn something from the season of Autumn. Contentment, may well be one of those lessons. There is an “at-homeness,” a sense of peace, in Autumn that we should seek to emulate. This peace, however, may not come naturally for we truly do live in a society that is “ever-restless.” That society is also quite materialistic in nature. It does little to make us content with what we have. In fact, our society seeks to limit our contentment by constantly reminding us of things we do not have. May we learn from Autumn that what we have is enough, that our striving for more can cease, in the “abundance of God’s grace.”
Thanksgiving Day is appropriately enough observed during the season of Autumn. At this time we are all encouraged to count our blessings and be grateful. I am convinced that if we will do this, and keep on doing it, we will experience far more contentment than we typically do. By focusing on our blessings, on what we do have, we experience a peace that will never come when our attention is on that which we don’t have. By focusing on our blessings, we come to the realization that we are “rich beyond measure.”
Autumn’s bounty reminds me of the many blessings God has poured out on my life. This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for. I suspect you can say the same thing. My prayer for you is that in giving thanks you will also experience contentment. That gift, in and of itself, is something to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
American’s National Park Service will be turning one hundred years old in just a few weeks. Because I love our national parks so much I cannot let this occasion pass without offering the NPS my congratulations and best wishes. Since taking up nature photography twenty-four years ago I’ve been blessed to visit most of our national parks. I’ve also visited scores of other national park units such as national recreation areas, national monuments, national rivers and seashores, etc. Each of them has had an impact on my life one way or another. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be who I am today were it not for our national parks.
I was introduced to our national parks as a small child when my family visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today I visit them as often as I can. Just two days ago I was able to pay a return visit to Mammoth Cave National Park. I keep going back because I benefit so much from them. Our national parks are incredible repositories of natural beauty that move my soul. They are places where I often connect to God. In fact, when I think of some of the parks I’ve visited I think not just of the scenery or wildlife but of the spiritual connections I made there. Let me give you some examples.
When I think of Denali National Park I remember “the peace of God that passes all understanding.” I have felt a peace there I’ve not quite experienced elsewhere. When I think of Grand Teton National Park I recall how important humility is in the spiritual life. Standing before that giant mountain wall I always feel small and humbled. When I think of Yosemite National Park I think of worship. John Muir referred to those majestic Sierra mountains as his “temples” and “cathedrals” and they became that for me as well. I can hardly imagine walking through Yosemite Valley and not singing the “Doxology” or “How Great Thou Art.” When I think of Yellowstone National Park I find myself reflecting on the mystery of God. Yellowstone is such a mysterious and magical place. As with God, there is no comprehending all its wonders. And when I think of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park I associate it with love. There is a wonderful and abundant diversity of life in this park that is so dear to my heart. That diversity symbolizes for me the generosity and goodness of God and it serves as yet one more reminder of the divine love that is the source of all that is good.
I could go on making spiritual connections with the many different parks I have visited and photographed. They are all special and they are all important. We are incredibly blessed to have these national parks and we should, by no means, take them for granted. I would encourage you in this centennial year of the National Park Service to give them all the support you can. Visit them as often. Work to preserve and protect them. Our national parks are far more than just beautiful and ecologically diverse places, they are special places where God resides and where God can be experienced in some marvelous ways.
–Chuck
(I took the top image at Yellowstone NP, the middle one at Great Smoky Mountains NP, and the bottom one at Yosemite National Park.)
I have been a fan of the writings of Thomas Merton for almost forty years. I consider him one of my spiritual mentors even though I never met him. Merton has been dead close to fifty years but through his many books he continues to speak to me. Over the past few days I’ve come across two passages from his writings that have moved me deeply. I am currently rereading Thoughts in Solitude and read this word on gratitude a few nights ago: “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us–and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful man knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”
Although Merton does not speak specifically of nature in this passage it made me think of my experience of God through Creation. Over the years I have come to see “the Love of God” in everything that God has made. All around us is the evidence of God’s love. The air we breathe, the clouds that float by overhead, the trees waving their branches, the birds singing their songs…all of these are expressions of God’s love for you and me. I appreciate Merton’s clarion call to be grateful for God’s overtures of love. He is right; we should not take anything for granted, never be unresponsive to the divine gifts of love we receive, and live in complete wonder and awe of the goodness of God. In many ways, but especially in nature, I have experienced the goodness and love of God “not by hearsay but by experience.” And, yes, “that is what makes all the difference.”
The other passage by Merton I came across showed up on a Facebook page earlier today that features daily sayings of the late Trappist monk. This one originated in what is perhaps my favorite Merton book, No Man Is An Island. Merton wrote: “Those who love their own noise are impatient of everything else. They constantly defile the silence of the forests and the mountains and the sea. They bore through silent nature in every direction with their machines, for fear that the calm world might accuse them of their own emptiness. The urgency of their swift movement seems to ignore the tranquility of nature by pretending to have a purpose. . . . It is the silence of the world that is real. Our noise, our business, our purposes, and all out fatuous statements about our purposes, our business, and our noise: these are the illusion.”
In this passage I was convicted of the inner and outer noise in my life which keeps me from fully experiencing “the silence of the forests and the mountains and the sea.” I was convicted of my busyness—usually taking pictures—that frequently robs me of the peace and tranquility that God’s Creation is meant to give us. I was convicted of my illogical need for speed even when outdoors and how important it is for me to slow down if I want to enjoy the “immense graces” God provides those who will “be still.” (Psalm 46:10) I was convicted of the fact that I’m guilty of thinking I know what’s going on around me when in reality that’s an illusion and I have so very much yet to learn.
I don’t know if you are a fan of Thomas Merton’s writings or not, but sometimes I think I’d be lost without them.
–Chuck
(I took the pictures used here on a visit to the Abbey of Gethsemani in central Kentucky where Thomas Merton lived most of his adult life.)
Recently I preached a sermon to my congregation on the need for unity among believers. These days it seems like those who have been explicitly called to love one another and to work together for the kingdom of God spend an inordinate amount of time time fussing and fighting. This happens in both individual churches and also denominations. Sometimes the things that divide Christians are admittedly quite significant but most of the time it seems to be more petty or superficial things that cause divisions. Some will argue whether we should use “trespasses” or “debts” when reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Others become upset if the pastor does (or doesn’t) wear a robe. In my forty years of ministry I have been appalled by some of the things I’ve seen churches fight over.
In the message I preached on unity one of the things I suggested as a solution to the divisiveness that hurts our life and witness as Christians is to focus more on what we have in common instead of on what we disagree about. Although it tends to be the differences that cause the trouble, the truth is in most churches the members have far more in common than things that divide them. The apostle Paul reminds us that we have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:5-5) We might also acknowledge that we have one hope and the same calling to love God above everything and to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we could just pause to remember that we have far more in common than we have differences it would go a long way in helping to restore and maintain unity in the church.
The conflict and divisiveness I see in churches these days can also be seen in many other venues. America itself is very much a divided nation these days and the number of things we are divided over is legion. The current presidential race definitely showcases this divisiveness. Internationally, we also see conflict and divisions on both large scales and small. We may all be part of the one human race but we certainly do not agree on a lot of things.
In a church setting disunity and divisiveness can lead to tension within the fellowship or perhaps even church splits. On the larger scale, conflict and divisiveness within and between nations can erupt into riots and protests, and perhaps even war. The stakes are high when disunity and divisiveness prevail, whatever the setting.
I mentioned that one of my suggestions for creating peace in the church was to try to focus on what we have in common instead of our differences. I think that would help also on a national and global level. Political parties need to do this. Entire nations need to do this. And there will always be things people can agree on. There will always be things they share in common. One obvious and very important common denominator for all groups is the very earth we all share together. Surely we can all agree that since the earth is our home it is important that we take good care of it. We may draw up political borders but in the end this “pale blue dot” is home to all of us. We share the same atmosphere and breathe the same air. We are all dependent on the same sources of water—our rivers, lakes and oceans. We must all depend on the same web of life. We all live here and we all die here.
Now would be a good time for us to pay heed to the wise words spoken by Chief Seattle: “Teach your children what we have taught our children—that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. This we know, the earth does not belong to us; we belong to the earth. This we know, all things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.” It is my hope and prayer that before it is too late we humans will begin to focus more on what we have in common and not on that which separates us. And I’m not sure there’s a better place to start than this place we all call home.
–Chuck
(I took the first image at Yosemite NP, the second and fourth image at Henderson Sloughs WMA, and the third image at Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.)
