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The Whispers of Nature
I have to admit that I never think about Earth Day much, partly because my love for nature and creation is deeply ingrained in me; therefore, every day is an “Earth Day.” That said, I understand the significance of naming a day to ponder and take inventory of our common home and relationship to all things created. Here are a few thoughts on this day. Nature can teach us so much about ourselves, others, life, and God. It can bring us to the truth. If we are open, the mystery of nature can move us from the beautiful to the good to the true. The “big sky” of the upper…
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A Beautiful Closure
There was a moment. Dawn. The birth of a new day. It was the eighth day of our return to Switzerland, and the first rays of sunlight illuminated the mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, or “the Big Three,” as we like to call them. I arose early and walked outside at 6:15 AM to catch a glimpse of the sights and sounds I missed in my dreams and conscious thoughts since we moved back to the States. As I began to walk the narrow paths and streets of Mürren, Switzerland, I rediscovered that deep sense of awe that had struck me so many times before. The air, the…
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Weather, Writing, and Truth
As the emerging clouds roll in here in Switzerland, they threaten the last glimpse of sunlight and your plans for the day. And yet, just as the clouds move in and the rain comes down, the sun can reappear just as quickly, and with it, unexpected opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The weather in Switzerland is unpredictable. The surrounding Alps can both hold in and prevent weather patterns from emerging, which results in drastic changes. (A few of us even refer to the weather as being schizophrenic) On the one hand, the ever-changing weather can create fluctuating landscape portraits. This is why you can take a picture from the same…
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A Single Tree
One of the things that my wife and I love is the “single trees” that fill the landscapes all over Switzerland. Here are a few in our village of Worb. This has made me wonder, beyond their beauty, what a single tree can teach us about our spirituality and relationship with God. A Single Tree Today, I stand in silence,And it prompts me to be still To be stillAnd hold onto my wordsTo be stillAnd resist the need to actTo be stillAnd reside within my name Rooted in Your creationI lose my statureI lose my fullnessI lose my looksThank You Rooted in Your creationI gain my statureI gain my fullnessI…
