Recently I spent a whole week with a faith-based group in one of the beautiful Austrian valleys. Among other objects in nature, I observed everyday how the Blue Danube bent and took curves as it flowed along gently making its way to the Black Sea. None but the creator himself directs it to its destination. Towards the end of the week the group requested me to lead them into “nature mediation”. Having been already inspired by observing various things in nature for sometime, we decided to dwell on “abundance in nature”. But first people were asked to observe and if possible identify along with their activities as many animate and inanimate beings as possible, including the ones swimming and floating in the pond. The pond surprisingly also had lotuses.
The exercise led us to a keen awareness of, a) how the creatures breathe and move about freely next to each other in the natural surrounding, b) that instead of competition and conflict and despite their differences they lived in harmony among themselves, c) that nature provided enough for every creature on which to survive and d) that in fact nature had everything in abundance for all its creatures. The meditation then led us to relate to the scene of creation described in the biblical book of Genesis where God created everything to perfection.
In the end God created Adam and Eve and gifted them the Garden of Eden, overflowing with milk and honey for them and their offspring to use and relish. Mahatma Gandhi’s insightful words, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”, helped us to deepen our reflection. Contemplating then on our artificially created needs by the multinationals and their exploitation of nature, we remembered Jesus’ words, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” We ended the meditation with the hymn composed and rendered by the 12th century nature lover St. Francis of Assisi:
Brother Sun and Sister Moon,
I seldom see you, seldom hear your tune
Preoccupied with selfish misery.
Brother Wind and Sister Air,
Open my eyes to visions pure and fair.
That I may see the glory around me.
I am God's creature, of God I am a part
I feel your love awaking in my heart
Brother Sun and Sister Moon
I now do see you, I can hear your tune
So much in love with all that I survey
