I've been talking a lot lately about Cascadian
Spirituality as an example of a regional approach to religion. People
are always asking me: "What ARE you?" Their expectation is that I will
answer in terms of one of the great transnational religious
traditions, like Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam. However,
like many in our time - and especially like many who live in the
Pacific Northwest - I have trouble identifying myself with any one
religion. In terms of the Gallup Poll surveys, I would be considered a
"None." I find myself combining the elements of MANY different
spiritual traditions, even though I tend to look at them all with a
Contemplative Christian slant, since that is my background. This
confuses people, because they are seeking for a single, unifying term
that they can latch onto.
That is why I've become excited lately by the possibility of seeing that unifying factor in terms of a REGIONAL spirituality. In my own case, that means that I identify myself primarily with the Rocky Mountains, since that is where I live. But I also identify with elements of Cascadian Spirituality and the spirituality of the Desert Southwest. For me, one of the primary elements of Rocky Mountain Spirituality is the use of the phenomenon of alpenglow to describe my experience of God, the Great Mystery. For I find that in the presence of the Divine, I light up with the glow of love, even though God himself - like the alpenglow sun - remains mysteriously hidden below the horizon of Being. I appreciate the humility of this alpenglow God, who receives great joy in illuminating all beings, thereby manifesting their own sacred glow, while disappearing from the need to be seen and affirmed. Since the Rocky Mountains are known for their sunny days (over 300 a year), alpenglow is a frequent phenomenon. However, alpenglow also appears in the Pacific Northwest on clear nights (and mornings), even though Cascadia has a greater number of rainy, misty days than the Rockies do. Therefore, perhaps alpenglow is an element of EVERY mountain spirituality, even though it is especially prominent in our Rocky Mountain region.
Photo: Alpenglow on Mt. Shuksan, reflected in the Nooksak River; Mt. Baker Wilderness, WA; July 23, 2013
That is why I've become excited lately by the possibility of seeing that unifying factor in terms of a REGIONAL spirituality. In my own case, that means that I identify myself primarily with the Rocky Mountains, since that is where I live. But I also identify with elements of Cascadian Spirituality and the spirituality of the Desert Southwest. For me, one of the primary elements of Rocky Mountain Spirituality is the use of the phenomenon of alpenglow to describe my experience of God, the Great Mystery. For I find that in the presence of the Divine, I light up with the glow of love, even though God himself - like the alpenglow sun - remains mysteriously hidden below the horizon of Being. I appreciate the humility of this alpenglow God, who receives great joy in illuminating all beings, thereby manifesting their own sacred glow, while disappearing from the need to be seen and affirmed. Since the Rocky Mountains are known for their sunny days (over 300 a year), alpenglow is a frequent phenomenon. However, alpenglow also appears in the Pacific Northwest on clear nights (and mornings), even though Cascadia has a greater number of rainy, misty days than the Rockies do. Therefore, perhaps alpenglow is an element of EVERY mountain spirituality, even though it is especially prominent in our Rocky Mountain region.
Photo: Alpenglow on Mt. Shuksan, reflected in the Nooksak River; Mt. Baker Wilderness, WA; July 23, 2013
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