Communicating With Nature.

Connecting with nature may be a more common term but, communicating with nature may be more appropriate. Listening and hearing nature is dependant on a person who is willing to embrace silence and solitude while learning to set aside the events, moments and stressors of the real world. Indeed, it may be time to spend more time bringing an unreal world into the picture to shape and reshape what is. In religious philosophies, there is the ideal world that is marked by love, kindness, forgiveness and gentleness. From Christ's "on earth as it is in heaven" to Bhudda's "enlightenment", ideal thoughts and convictions argue against pain, suffering and death. In the real world we laugh at such a notion that people-let alone people AND nature-could ever live in peace or without violent conflict. Yet, we see glimpses of our efforts to do just that: We develop medicine to fight pain and prolong life; this is significant proof that we want something better...something "unreal".


Humans have huge imaginations and anything that is imagined is possible. And when, or if, humanity can ever decide on how to live out the difference between cruelty and non-cruelty, elements of the "unreal" world will start to emerge. Universally we all have a basic and similar understanding of cruelty and non-cruelty but government, money, power and greed blanket efforts.

I finished a great book from a prominent theoritical physicist a few months ago that explained how humans may be able to create an atmosphere on a distant planet and hence make it habitable. The ability to fly into space may not be so big a step as we've thought it to be. More and greater accomplishments may still be on the horizon. What has been done in 100 years may pale in comparison to what is done in 1000 years.

Nature has a lot to offer in the way of being a catalyst for wonder and thought. It may not itself be god, or God, but it is a much neglected tool for growth and inspiration.

If the roar of traffic, buzz of governemnt shutdowns, hum of "bills to pay" and cries of the steets haunt you-and they should-consider how some time in the arms of a thought-provoking and life-changing natural setting may position you to offer encouragement and change in your own heart, family, community or world. A more ideal one indeed.

Communicating with nature, or nature's creator, means seeing the good and peaceful, recognizing the painful and hideous, and wondering how we can re-create the world in the face of that common barrier that says "you can't change the way things are".