Getting Close to Nature

Yosemite Valley is a place of solitude, a place I go to make sense of the tragedies and horrors going on in the world.
Before dawn, I stand by the river to get a feel of its movement through the valley, then head off on a hike through the wild beauty of Creation. After a day of walking meditations with the mountains, the listening conferences at the waterfalls, and the conversations with chipmunks on trails through the forest, I return in the evening to the river. I sit with the day’s experiences and discover the threads that tie them together.
Looking at the bottom of the river in front of me, I see seven dark rocks in a line and a series of the light-colored sand ridges on the bottom like a sand garden in Kyoto, with flowing water replacing the movement of the air. The ridges and the different colors of pebbles on the bottom create patterns that occupy my mind while my spirit is free to wander.
A boulder rises above the surface of the water, and I can see its entire being because the peacefulness of the river allows it. I know that the flow of the river is strong, but I barely perceive the undulations on its surface, and see nothing of the boulder’s struggle to hold its position in the riverbed. So it is with people.


The surprising response is the one I need to pay attention to because it comes from an unknown place, a place not controlled by me. It calls me out of myself and into a relationship with nature. It calls me into intimacy. It feels like there is no boundary between nature and me. I open myself to it and share all my thoughts and feelings, as well as the longing that rises from somewhere deep within. Like the I-Thou relationship, I hold nothing back and try to set my preconceptions about nature aside so that I may fully understand. Yet I sense that there is much before me that I do not perceive.
The day spent hiking has been the prelude to this moment. All day the feeling has been growing that I am experiencing more than just the beauty of the wilderness. I feel the valley’s presence around me. Everywhere I look glimpses and sparks of wonder surprise me. Overwhelmed, I close my eyes, lean back, and let this presence soak in. I listen to the thrum of the mountains, and feel the power of the river as it flows on and nourishes the world.
As the sun begins setting on the other side of the mountains, the valley disappears into darkness. I let my thoughts rise and drift among the wonder of the stars.