Nature is the Art of God

Today's devotional is written by Paige Fenner, our Faith Formation Summer Inern.

I recently read this poem and thought it much too beautiful to keep to myself:
 
“being the loudest on earth’s playground
doesn’t make us any more important than
the dirt we crush beneath our feet
we are nothing except air
and fire and water and soil
we are a people
who forget what we are made of
a people who talk about the weather
as if it’s mundane and not magic
as if the oceans
are not holy water
as if the sky
is not a vision
as if the animals
are not our siblings
as if nature is not god
and rain is not god’s tears
and we are not god’s children
as if god is not the earth itself”

• Rupi Kaur (Homebody)

 
Nature is the art of god.
Consider the beauty of the world around us. How each organism is made of cells, how each cell is made of elements and each element; atoms. And how they work as a system to make the world we see around us. Perhaps it is simply my love of ecology, but this is the overlooked magic of our world. The one often forgotten by God’s children.
Is it not beautiful how the mountains form the clouds that provide the rain for our gardens? Or how the trees provide shelter for the animals with no other place to go?
Nature is the art of god. Every leaf, every mountain, every wave reflects his craftsmanship. When I appreciate nature, I feel a shift within me. It’s not just fresh air or a blade of grass, it’s sacred. In the stillness of the trees or the rhythm of the river, God feels near. This is where I feel the most spiritual, the most connected to God. Let nature be more than scenery, let it be our sanctuary. Let us recognize and protect it. Whether you seek it for prayer, peace, or simply to enjoy God’s gifts, let this be an invitation to step into God's masterpiece and feel God's presence.