In the Light
Somewhere around the second week of hiking it occurred to me that I could hold ‘Meeting’ by myself on the trail, and that it didn’t have to be on Sunday. Going down Fuller Ridge (on a Monday, mind you), I opened my heart to the voice of Spirit/God and immediately felt that presence in the world around me. That part was easy–here is what the world looked like at that moment:
All sorts of metaphors came to mind with this scenery: the clouds in the valley below could be the whims and delusions our minds and social systems want us to believe (“earn more money, buy more things, gain more influence”), distracting us from the beautiful, generous and universal ecosystem all around us; the clouds could be an example of how different two geographically adjacent areas can be–the poor and wealthy parts of a city, the first and second and third worlds; and, the ridge can be one ecosystem, and the valley can be another reality, and both of those realities are true, but are very, very different in terms of climate, geography, geology, flora and fauna, and human experience. So many metaphors. So much thinking in just one or two minutes. After my brain settled down, what really mattered was this: I was thankful. My heart was grateful. Light shone all around me and I soaked it in. Thank you, said my heart. Thank you. All said so gloriously by e.e. cummings (and thank you, again):
“i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginably You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)”
e.e. cummings
Three and Some Trees 