While we appreciate many of the benefits of modern technology, one of the negative results of our technological progress is its capacity to isolate us from the natural world.
Almost imperceptibly many of us have lost touch with the natural world around us, and as a result, we’ve lost a vital sensitivity that helps us understand and appreciate God and His creative power.
In addition, we’ve lost a much-needed source of healing for the human spirit. “Take time to smell the flowers” is not idle advice. And as Francis Schaeffer reminded us, “the death of our joy in nature is leading to the death of nature itself.” Experiencing and enjoying the outdoors is a key antidote for much of what ails us in these stressful times.
Finally, we are losing familiarity with the creation as a source of knowledge and inspiration that instructed the preachers and poets of old.
Consider these:
- Robert Burns who, touched by plowing up a mouse’s nest, exclaimed, “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray, and leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy!
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who, pondering depressions on a sandy beach, drew this analogy: “Lives of all great men remind us we can make our lives sublime and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time.”
- Thomas Gray who, reflecting on the noble souls who dwell unheralded in country cottages, wants us to remember that, “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air.”
- Robert Frost who, comparing his life’s journey to a walk in the autumn forest, tells us that “two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
- William Cullen Bryant who, observing a lone waterfowl in flight, mused, “He who, from zone to zone / Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, / In the long way I must tread alone, / Will guide my steps aright.”
- Joaquin Miller, who, examining a tree, exulted, “Ten thousand leaves on every tree, / And each a miracle to me; / And yet there be men who question God!”
How long has it been since you have been motivated by God’s creation to see with the vision of a poet? If it’s been more than a few months, you probably need a nature refresher.
See you outdoors!
Dean
October 6th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Wow, Dean, that was great! I’ve been trying hard over the last year or two to make sure that I get out and walk in nature… to be able to listen and contemplate a bit (even if walking for 20 min in a fairly urban area) and talk to the Lord does wonders for my battered soul.
October 6th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Walking with the Lord is something I do daily even if the trek is very short. I have emphysema and usually I need oxygen with me but not always. Exercise sure helps and brings me into God’s presence better than I expected. This looks like it has the makings of a great blog – thanks
October 6th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
This blog has a lot of possibilities for me. Being outdoorsy and a Boy Scout leader, and one whose purpose is to walk with Christ, this fits me to a T. I love hiking too, backpack camping, wildlife viewing and flyfishing. I surely wasn’t expecting a blog from RBC with this emphasis. Dean, you and I were born in the same year, so we have a lot in common. God bless.
October 6th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I’ve been a hunter and fisherman for the greater share of my adult life and the awe of God’s creation and more so the awe of God has not diminished but rather has grown. I, like the other poster; now have difficulty breating and have much trouble from severe arthritis. So this may be my last year hunting whitetails. If that is to be; then so be it. I can still get out and do other things not as strenuous and I can see the wonder of the Lord’s creation just by looking into our flower garden and at “our” birds. Praise be His Holy Name. I hope this site provides valuable info as to our relationship with creation and our stewardship and strike a balance with human needs at the same time.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Every morning I sit on my patio and gaze into the sky and wonder if I wanted to paint the blue of the sky what colors could I mix to come up with that breathtaking color. I listen to the birds in the morning before the commotion starts of their wonderful songs of praise and excitement for a new day. I watch as the bigger birds guide through the sky on their trek to find food for the day which the Lord provides. They seem to be so care free. Oh to totally trust the Lord for His daily provision as nature does wow talk about peace.