This month we have been looking at nature as a metaphor for
God’s presence. God’s love is obvious in the diversity of mountains, in the new
life sprouting on seemingly barren cliffs, and in the grace that is like water
seeping through rocks.
In both Colorado and at Christ in the Desert Monastery
rushing water played an important part in my thoughts. When I went to Durango,
CO, I wondered how bad the remnants of the toxic spill would be and was
pleasantly surprised that the river was cleaning itself, or being cleaned by
the rushing water. At the monastery, the powerfully running river itself was a
reminder of the ever moving power of God.
In early August, a mistake by an EPA crew released millions
of gallons of toxic orange mine waste into the Animas River from an abandoned
gold mine. Two weeks later, when my husband and I were in the area, you could
still see the orange stained rocks and there was orange water still in the eddies
along the sides of the river. However, the actual movement of the water had
flushed most of the orange waste down the river.
To me that was an image for the work of the Spirit of God
moving to wash out the toxic influences in our lives, when we allow God in. It
doesn’t matter what bad habits, actions, or influences we’ve been harboring and
cultivating. When we say ‘here I am’ to God, the Spirit of the Living God will
begin to transform our lives and souls until we are clean. “Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
It doesn’t matter how ‘bad’ we have been. God’s promise is
sure. “None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against
them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.” (Ezekiel
33:16) God’s Spirit washes and renews us, just like the Animas
River is being cleaned and renewed by the action of the water flowing
downstream.
The Chama River runs right through Christ in the Desert
Monastery. I always make time to walk down to sit by the river when I am there.
Near the river it is green and lush, exactly the opposite of the limestone
cliffs towering over the valley. When we stay close to the river of the Spirit,
we’ll find that we, too, are as Hildegard of Bingen says ‘greening’. God's Spirit brings blessing and revives our wilting souls. This quote from a d365.org meditation reminds us that God is with us in everything:
Being in partnership with God is no lonely calling, because we can trust God to hear our anger, our fatigue, our sadness. We can trust God to help us carry our heaviest struggles. And we can trust God to provide for us in surprising ways.
I invite you to consider what the rivers are in your life
that refresh you.
Is it Bible reading? Is it prayer? Is it sitting quietly and
letting God sit with you? Is being with family and friends where you find God’s
Spirit? Or do you feel closest to God when you are serving others?
Hildegard says we are lush and green because of our
relationship with God, whatever form that takes. In the next few weeks, we’ll
look at some of Hildegard’s words.
