The Right Place*
If you’re a longtime reader of this blog you know I am a big fan of Mary Oliver’s poetry. Whenever she publishes a new book I find cause for celebration. Last week I celebrated the release of her newest collection of poems, Felicity. You can easily read through this book in one sitting but I wouldn’t suggest that. Oliver’s poems are to be savored and contemplated. I especially like the ones where her love for nature and God merge.
One of the poems in this new collection is called “Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way.” It begins, “If you’re John Muir you want trees to live among. If you’re Emily, a garden will do. Try to find the right place for yourself. If you can’t find it, at least dream of it.” I like the idea of trying to find “the right place” for you. Muir did, Emily Dickenson did, and so can you and I. It’s interesting how different people are drawn to various landscapes or things. We do not all connect to the same thing but it seems as though we all connect to something in the natural world. How could we not? I connect to a lot of things. I no longer live near mountains but I will always love them. I will visit them when I can. And when I can’t, I can always dream. Thankfully, I also find a connection with trees and there are lots of wonderful trees in my area, some right outside my door. These trees offer me a special connection with God’s Creation. What is your right place?
Later in this poem Oliver writes “God, or the gods, are invisible, quite understandable. But holiness is visible, entirely.” Here the poet makes a wise observation. We are not able to see God with our eyes; for many reasons that is just not possible. Still, we are able to see a reflection of the divine, God’s holiness, in a variety of places. Certainly it can be seen in some special people from time to time but God’s holiness is always evident in the Creation. “In the beginning” a holy God spoke the world into existence and declared it good (Genesis 1). That world, the parts not marred by humankind, is still good and bears witness daily to the holiness of its Maker. For me, holiness is most readily seen in God’s handiwork. It is through God’s Creation that I can visibly see the invisible God’s holiness on a regular basis.
In some parts of the country this is the peak season for fall foliage. This year I hope you will make a special effort to take a close look at and enjoy the delightful colors of autumn. As you do so, make sure to offer a word of thanks to the Creator for this annual display of divine holiness. Wherever you happen to be, make it the “right place” to commune with God.
–Chuck
*This post originally appeared October 22, 2015.