What is it about
being out in nature that makes me feel so good? There’s a calming factor, a
lightness, a clarity that can be found only outside. Why is this so? If your
life is like most Americans’, you’re
probably reading this article in your ergonomically designed chair, in a climate controlled room, all while enjoying a great song on your
iPod. But, I bet you could have an even better experience if you got outside
right now. So what if it’s March? Who cares if the temperature is probably
below 40°F? How can I make such a claim? My answer to this is “You were made
for the garden.” In Genesis 2:5 we read that one of the reasons God did not
immediately have plants abounding on the earth was “…there was no man to work
the ground.” After the creation of Adam, “God planted a garden in Eden, in the
east, and there He put the man He had formed” (Genesis 2:8 ESV). God created
the idyllic environment to place His prized creation, the one made in His own
image. There were no roads, walls, houses - just pure, unspoiled nature. In
fact, we don’t even get a reference to a manmade environment until Genesis 4:17
when we find that Cain has built a city and named it after his son, Enoch.
Before this, man had no need for climate control or structural engineering. The
environment just…was. God knew what type of place would allow His
creation to thrive and Adam received what I would call the first custom home;
one that would meet all of his needs and allow him opportunities to “walk with
God in the cool of the morning.”
Ok, that sounds
great, but we are who knows how many years away from this initial creation
event. We have beautiful skyscrapers, awe-inspiring bridges, and air
conditioning for goodness sakes! Why should we spend time
looking at nature, with its imperfect edges, seeming randomness, and reckless
danger? Because we were made for nature, and it was made for us! I recently
read “Last Child in the Woods,” a book that examines the potential impacts our
children receive by spending more time indoors and less time connected to their
natural surroundings. It talks about the connections between ADHD and ADD with
our more sedentary lifestyle, a condition described as “Nature Deficit Disorder.” This NDD, is causing a loss of natural knowledge and behavioral
dysfunction in our youth. In fact, children may be happier, less disruptive in
structured settings, able to develop math and problem solving skills, and other
“real world” education when they are given more free, unstructured time
outside. Not only do I believe this is true, I think that these adventures can
help lay the foundation of an exciting, dynamic relationship with our Creator.
Each experience in nature helps them to see the wonderful detail God used when
creating our world and opens their minds to ask questions; the key to
knowledge.
Like children,
adults can benefit from outdoor experiences. I encourage you to give it a try
this week. No, this doesn’t mean you have to trek across Antarctica or ride a
camel across the Sahara. Just sit outside in your yard or at a park and ask God
to show you something new that will reveal a little more about Himself. It may
be something as simple as seeing God’s power as you watch a storm front roll
across the sky or something as profound as understanding what it means to be a
new creature in Christ when you see a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis.
Whatever it is, I guarantee it will be better than even the best day in the
“perfect” office.
By C Sampson
Does it count to look out my window at nature? :) I definitely feel better being outside even if it's just doing yard work. There is something freeing and cathartic about not being walled in. The hard part is often times making yourself do it. Like all things that are good for you, it takes effort to start. Once you're out there, it becomes hard to come back in.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...maybe if the window's open.. :) So true that the first step out the door is often the hardest. There are lots of distractions and comforts found inside. And, it's hard to break away from our indoor culture. But, as you said, there can be renewal and freedom when we find God outside. It can also be easier to listen to Him away from the noise. Jesus gives us a great example of this when he goes to Gethsemane to pray shortly before he is betrayed by Judas. He needed to focus intently on speaking with the Father and he chose to go outside the city and meet Him in a garden. (Mark 14:32-36) I hope you are able to find some time outdoors with Him, too!
ReplyDeleteSo why does the religious right vote for people who disrespect the environment and rape the natural world?
ReplyDeleteI think you pose a valid, though somewhat biased, question about the contradictory relationship between right-leaning environmentalists and their apparent voting tendencies. Let me first start by saying that this in an interesting place to be, one man representing an entire segment of the population. Second, I don't self-identify as the "religious right" but feel that the community I am part of is defintely represented in this segment.
ReplyDeleteI think there are two main reasons why a member of the religious right would choose to support a candidate that does not have a strong, pro-environmental agenda (aka "rapes the land"). First, and likely the most important, is the impact of morality in a voter's choice. Typically, right/Republican voters support social legislation that supports clear-cut Biblical principals; they are anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, etc. Typically, left/Democratic voters support social legislation that does not support clear-cut Biblical principals (though they tend to support more more programs that provide for the welfare of the vulnerable members of society). Keep in mind, these are social/moral issues and not economic or political ones. In an ironic twist, this same desire to protect social morality on the right side has led to epic failures in other arenas. Right/Republican politics are not pro-large government. Therefore, they allow for large corportations and economically powerful individuals to sway policy away from regulations that could inhibit their profitability. Basically, they aren't going to inact legislation that would protect the environment at the risk of losing economic productivity. So, in order to support their moral convitions, right voters will often accept the trade off of environmental degradation. Bible believing voters have a responsibilty to submit to governmental authority (Romans 13). I believe it is easier for them to submit to an authority that is anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion (topics that are clearly defined in the Bible as wrong) rather than one that supports these and protects the environment (a topic less clearly defined in the Bible). That was a really long way to say, "Politics is all about trade offs. You will rarely find a candidate that supports all of your views so you have to decide where you're willing to compromise."
The second reason this could occur is the misuse and/or misinterpretation of Scripture. One of the most often quoted verses relating to humankinds relationship to the Earth is Genesis 1:28-29 where God tells Adam and Eve to "fill the Earth and subdue it." Many would view this as a free pass to do with the Earth what we will. We have been given dominion over everything here and have no responsibility to conserve or preserve any of the resources within it. This would justify a right voter supporting a candidate that wants to scrape every ounce of usability out of the Earth's resources. I disagree with this interpretation, as do many others, and believe that it is a call to stewardship not exploitation. I'll leave it at that because I'll be writing about this topic and verse very soon.
Well, there's my take on your question. Thanks for being part of the blog, I hope you continue to seek out knowledge and participate in future conversations we're having here!