COMMUNING WITH GOD IN NATURE

Here are ideas for reflection: 

     1.  One of the most effective of all spiritual teachers is nature itself.

     2.  We are a part of nature, and through communing with God in the natural world we can overcome our separateness, and awaken an awareness of the whole. 

     3.  All of nature – the wind, rain, animals, birds, fishes, grass, and stones – can teach us something about ourselves, and the mystery of existence. 

     4.  The awesome beauty of nature bypasses the rational mind and directly touches the heart.

     5.  Nature’s rich sensuality overwhelms our cultural conditioning and puts us in touch with the primal Power of Life. 

     6.  Retreating to the wilderness: Many traditions encourage us to spend time in the wilderness communing with God in nature, away from the comforts and hassles of towns and cities. 

     7.  A songbird’s sermon: One day, a Zen master was about to give a sermon when a bird started to sing. The master said nothing and everyone listened to the bird. When the song stopped, the master announced that the sermon had been preached and went on his way. (Zen teaching story) 

     8.  Spiritual experiences are natural. Any event can suddenly trigger spontaneous illumination – the dizzy heights of romantic love, the agony of tragic death, a shaft of sunlight through some trees, the familiar affection of family life, a kind word from a stranger. All of life is an opportunity to awaken. 

     9.  The beauty of nature: Many people who regard themselves as “unreligious”, experience spiritual states through being overcome by the beauty of nature. The 19^th-century writer, Richard Jefferies’ love of nature inspired the same spiritual insights as the great saints of the world’s religions. 

Source: Timothy Freke, Encyclopedia of Spirituality: Information and Inspiration to Transform Your Life (New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2000).

Nature galleries:

The following pages present photos from natural settings. For those presently living in cities, and for all others, may these photographs provide a momentary retreat. 

Inside each gallery, by clicking on an image, an enlargement of the photo will appear below the set of photos shown.

A Country Garden

Roses

Sea and Sky

Spring Flowers in Australia

Sunrise and Sunset

By the Lake

By the Sea

Australian Countryside

Springtime Flowers

Spring Flowers

Country Lake

Lakeside

Sunrise Splendor

Seaside

Late Spring Flowers

Early Light

Afternoon

Coastline

Morning Walk

Flower Festival

Quiet Waters