Faith | The presence of God is palpable in nature. Let’s care for it

Some years ago I read an article by a professor who thought that the Pacific Northwest was less religious than the rest of country because it is full of natural beauty and has less need of God and churches than other places.

When you have abundant beautiful nature right outside the front door, there is less need to believe in God.

It is certainly true that we have rivers, forests, mountains, deserts, seacoasts in abundance. I think he had a point, although there are plenty of churches in the Northwest.

There is a desert canyon in Eastern Oregon that is on God’s list as a favorite place.

A wild cold stream flows down the canyon from the Warner Mountains to a dry lake (playa) in the Warner Valley.

The canyon is full of serpents (rattlesnakes).

There is an aspen grove in the canyon with a cold spring that once had an empty tin can where my father and I had a sacrament, as if the tin can was a golden chalice in a cathedral of trees.

The presence of God is palpable in the canyon. It is to me the most beautiful place on Earth.

We may never know how God feels about it. But as caretakers of God’ s creation , we need to try figure out where these places are and care for them and love them.

Psalm 96:11-13 (NLT) “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst forth with Joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord!”