Nature is balance. Nature is both creation and destruction. It is the balance we need to learn, harmonize with and accept. Realizing life has to be accompanied by death or else life cannot begin again; realizing growth comes from learning and being; realizing that we are all a part of a web of natural energy is to me the thing so many on our planet have forgotten, and need to remember. -Jacob, a CLF member incarcerated in AR
How do you experience the balance of nature?
“We gather to praise the Earth,
to honor the soil, the sea, the swimmers and crawlers,
the four-leggeds and the winged ones;
we give thanks for the beauty and glory of the Earth.
We seek new ways to understand our place in the universe
—not at the center,
nor at the end of creative
evolution,
but a humble and balanced place
somewhere between and among all Earth’s children,
where every step we take
becomes a blessing,
where every word we say
becomes a prayer
of thanksgiving and praise.”
-Armida Alexander
Say a prayer of thanksgiving today.
When I was a kid, my sister and I were always outside. One of our favorite games was to rake the pine needles into a floor plan. We always imagined that my sister and I could take care of ourselves and live off the land. One of us would collect the wool from our pretend sheep, and the pinecones became our household tools. We led complex, rich lives, all while doing our homework! -Beth Murray (CLF)
When has nature been a source of comforting fantasy or dreaming for you?
“So this month I offer you a spiritual practice. Find yourself a bush, a tree, a nook, a path, a place on the edges of life organized by humans. Visit it when you are burned out, and let your attention go deep into the particular life of that place. Visit it when it rains, or when the sun comes out, and see how it responds and grows.” -Darcey Laine
“We don’t escape to nature. Rather, there is no escape from nature; it is within us. We don’t get away to nature. Rather, there is no place to get away from nature; we are forever being drawn into that deep connection.” -James C. Leach
How are you drawn into deep connection with nature?
