by Rev Cindy Searighi R.N.
The Scripture ~ “But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.” Job 12: 7-10
The Spiritual Focus ~ “From the way we treat the planet, other humans, and sometimes even ourselves, it seems we don’t understand. When we don’t recognize that the Christ Mystery is universal, that God is present in—and is saving—all of creation, you can choose what you respect and what you disrespect, what you love and what you hate.” Fr. Richard Rohr
Breath Prayer ~ God is here, God in everywhere
Devotion ~ A deep dive into the Old Testament reveals an idea that may have escaped some of us, the idea is that God spoke to us long before God spoke to us in the incarnation of Jesus. A case can be made that the first incarnation, defined as God revealing God’s self, was creation. This might explain why so many of us feel God’s presence intimately when we are in nature. Fr. Richard Rohr explains it this way, God is IN everything! God’s DNA, God’s fingerprint is everywhere, in everything in creation. This is not to be confused with pantheism, which means God IS a tree or rock, Christians do not believe this. PanENtheism, which means God is IN everything is supported throughout scripture and Christian doctrine. It is no surprise that so many seek nature as a way to experience God’s presence.
Western yogi’s are slowly shifting to add more contemplative practices to their asana practice. Centering prayer and walking meditation are gaining in popularity. Walking meditation in particular teaches us to pay attention to our surroundings, to the details of God’s creation around us, whether in the splendor of a forest, sitting by a lake, or just walking out to the mailbox. Paying attention helps us recognize that God’s presence is everywhere and IN everything, we cannot escape God’s presence.
