It may seem to some people that finding God in nature is a trendy idea and is even referred to as “eco-spirituality” which does have a ring of modern lingo about it. But, the truth is that the idea that we feel God’s presence more profoundly is not in any way a new concept but it one worth examining.  For anyone alive today we are faced with a monumental question, can we live more simply and require less resources so future generations can enjoy our world. It appears that if we don’t take this question seriously, then we will be leaving a mess for future generations. This does not seem like a spiritual choice to make.

I mean to be a good guardian of the Earth but often life gets busy and I am abducted by a To-Do list that is long.  So as a result, I often find myself looking at a screen. You of course, are looking at one now if you are reading this. I don’t really like screens at all but it is a hazard of my job that I do a lot of reading, writing and connecting with people around the world via email and Zoom. I also spend a lot of time writing and reading reports or other forms of communication. It is actually in my title to as part of the MMM Communication team.  It cannot be avoided.  I am not saying God is not among us in the office – but it does seem like a more holy experience to be in the forest or by the sea.

We have reached a critical point in our world where the environment is suffering severely for the choices humans make. The walk into nature is getting harder to do without seeing human pollution or messes present. I was recently out for a run and I noticed all the berries ripening on the bush next to me. I thought was a miracle it was to see them there when little blossoms had been there weeks before – and then I noticed the plastic bottles and wrappers that people had thrown there.  There is talk now that we may face energy shortages in the winter ahead and will have to have our power rationed. I know this happens already around the world but it is not normal for us in Ireland – until now apparently.

The idea that nature needs humans to do better feels very real to me. I am not one to speak for God of course, but does it not seem like a person who loves God would also love nature?  Is it too much for us to make a greater effort to protect and care for our natural world. To go one step further – are we not part of that natural world?

Clearly, in writing this I have more questions than answers. I will be honest and say that I am not fond of this type of approach to writing. I have all these questions to raise and I want you the reader to solve them. So I gave it a bit more thought and I asked myself, what can I do about all this.  Here are a few small but sustainable steps I will take.

If there is not an eco-element to my spiritual practice, I feel I will be missing so much of the journey. Perhaps you can look at your day, your home and your life and see where you