Nature teaches us to think our own thoughts . . .

Earlier, I spoke of the realization that each of us is a completely unique lens through which the Divine knows and celebrates Itself.

However, in our current era, many of us hardly ever listen to or follow our core self. As a result, we run across very few real individuals these days. People identify themselves instead with the media and entertainment culture, which seeks to make each of us into a sort of robot with no mind of our own. Rather than create our own mythical stories that embody the paradoxical life of the Divine, we instead rely on the technological expertise of moviemakers to do the imagining for us. Rather than think our own thoughts, we listen non-stop to the thoughts of others: to the love-dramas of pop-singers, the incessantly negative news promoted by the media, and the dogmas of religious groups that would discourage us from ever coming to our own conclusions. Rather than enjoying the self-possession that is the product of a disciplined life, we rely instead on the "Likes" and "Comments" of OTHERS recorded in Facebook and Instagram posts.

Nature, on the other hand, teaches us to think our own thoughts, imagine new theological stories, be embraced by Silence, and practice the disciplined life we crave. Time spent in the natural world helps us once again become who we REALLY are in our deepest core. How wonderful!

Photos: (Top) Sunrise on Medicine Bow Peak, with white and pink-colored quartzite in the foreground; (Middle) Subalpine Arnica; (Bottom) Mountain Gentian; all three photos were taken in Wyoming's Snowy Range on September 21-23, 2015