God in the countryside!

Yesterday I finally got around to doing something I had planned to do on my time of sabbath; I got in the car and drove out into the countryside. I ended up going not more than 20 minutes from home! What a beautiful part of Canada we live in; we are so blessed and on this particular day I appreciated that blessing all the more.

I drove along the roads, ventured into a dairy farm and stopped to capture images of horses grazing; I looked into the muddy waters of the Humber River and I hiked the trails of one of the local conservation areas. In all of that I experienced the presence of God through all of my senses: what I saw, heard, smelled and felt. There was a gentle breeze; the sun was shining; the air was clear; there was little traffic; often there was only silence. No distractions; what a privilege to experience the wonder and awe of a God!

I stopped and asked a farmer if I could photograph his barn and his cows. He was most hospitable and welcoming, so willing to share his story and his passion for dairy farming. He'd been on this farm since he was born in 1921; his family had been among the first settlers in King township. It was time to open the gate and let the cows out to pasture. They could obviously sense that there a stranger in their midst; their stare spoke volumes; "who are you and what are you doing?" The herd for the most part, though, just kept going; they moved together, one following the other. I wondered if there wasn't a lesson there in what community should be all about!

Horses are so majestic as they stand so confidently. I enjoyed the moments I spent at this particular stop on my journey. I watched them graze; I saw a colt go up and start nursing from his mother; some of them lay on the ground and others ran through the field. They came right up to the fence wanting to become friends; what an example of trust! Again something we can learn more about as human beings!

Finally, I enjoyed my walk through one of the wooded conservation areas. The path went along through the forest; there was a boardwalk through the marshy area; the trail went through tall grass. There were birds, flying insects, flowers, flowing water, logs from fallen trees, fungus growing out of the side of those logs, moss, large ferns and much more to see, hear and simply enjoy. There was a blue heron that landed not far from where I was standing; the sounds of red winged black birds; colourful dragonflies; a butterfly; all intricate creatures that show the glory, mystery and wonder of God.

What struck me as I drove back home is how much of this countryside is being lost to development whether residential, industrial or for business centers. That's sad and one day we will regret it. Where is all of our green space going? What will we do when there isn't any left? What's to become of the farmland? Where will the cows and horses graze, if in fact there are any near by at all? And all in the name of progress? Is it really progress? I personally think too much is being lost to call it progress!

It was relatively easy to see God in the countryside. Next week I have to head into downtown Toronto. I am going to do the same exercise there; be attentive and aware of the presence of God and where possible capture it through the lens of my camera. I don't think it will be all that difficult there either! I look forward to sharing those images with you too.

Fungus, Weeds and Dead Pine Needles!

Theological reflection happens anywhere and anytime we might be open to recognizing something that God is revealing to us in a given moment and place. I had that reiterated recently as we spent a few days in Woodstock Vermont.

First, walking along the path from the bottom of Queche Gorge I saw this tree stump that was covered with fugus. At first glance they weren't very attractive; in fact, they appeared to be blights that were quite ugly. However, when I looked closer and made this second photograph I could see how even the fungie were interesting to look at, and that they had their own unique beauty too.

Weeds are very often recognized as out of place in our gardens and covering our lawns. In fact, people often spray to get rid of them or dig them up because they're unattractive and out of place. I saw these Queen Anne's Lace throughout the gorge in Queche and in other spots too. They're everywhere and can be seen as a weed. That's even more true of dandelions; they pop up and grow and take away from the beauty of our well manicured lawns and gardens. And yet they photograph so well in both cases; they have a beauty that is their own; they are intricately made; they are a part of God's beautiful creation.

Along the path there were also hills that were covered with pine needles that had died and fallen from their tree. What use are dried up, dead needles from a pine tree? Would we be tempted to rake them up for the sake of tidiness? And yet, with these dried, brown needles God has formed a carpet of beauty under foot.

There's a lesson there about God and what we perceive about God's creation. Some things, and even some people, may seem to be blights that aren't very attrative and take something away from the rest of God's creation which is so beautiful in our eyes. We make judgements based on our own perceptions and biases of what shows beauty and what doesn't. However, even what see as a blight that is ugly, everything and everyone God creates has their own beauty whether we can recognize it or not; everything and everyone that God creates has value. I thanked God for that fungus, the Queen Anne's Lace, the dandelions and the dead pine needles which reminded me to look beyond what I first see and recognize God's beauty that is everywhere and in everything and everyone!