Closer To The Earth, Closer To God

 Awhile ago, I received an online comment from a reader who, upon reading one of my posts related to night sky phenomena, mentioned that as a city dweller, they can't really see such natural occurrences and how the concept of being so closely tied to the outdoors was quite foreign to them. And their words haven't left me since. Because, growing up in the arctic north, connecting with nature is completely normal for me. I've never known anything else. Aside from a few brief stints in the city on long distance travel, I've always built my life rhythms around the created world. One glance out my house windows and I'm reminded of the Maker's presence. 

But the fact that not everyone is this tied to the natural world around them has gotten me thinking about the relationship between the created order and our mental health. Subtlety, I think we've known for centuries that connection with flowers, birds, beautiful scenery, mountains, water and the like has a big part to play in our state of mind. We feel instantly invigorated or relaxed or grounded, depending on our needs and the experience. It's why we go in search of such places for vacations or weekend getaways - because we know our world isn't built for rest and peacefulness and connection to God and what He's made. 

And I'm beginning to wonder if our ancestors, who lived in a more agrarian society where life revolved around the natural patterns, where the cycles of the seasons and the life lessons of cultivation determined so much of their daily existence, perhaps gave them a better perspective on life. Maybe they were more likely to feel closer to God and to be accepting of natural hardships because they weren't as disconnected from the dust by which we all were formed in Adam. 

Can living and feeling closer to the earth itself impact one's spiritual way?

At our basic core, the Creator put within us His ability to nurture and grow things. We read in the very beginning of the Bible itself that He started human life in a garden, filled with all manner of the good and beautiful.  He established from the beginning that our existence centered around living things. We were made for life by the Lord of Life Himself. And the whole goal of the Gospel experience is to allow us to regain and rediscover our origins of life - our beginnings with God. To undo the effects of sin and help us get back to that place of deepest connection with the One from whom all life stems. 

And throughout His good Book, He uses the example of nature to show us aspects of our intended growth - things that, were we to be removed from, would be no more than mere concepts instead of concrete experience. There's a reason we're told to go study and learn diligence from the ant (Proverbs 6:6-11). There's a reason the Psalms are filled with verses describing the heavens and encouraging us to consider the stars. There's a reason Jesus Himself even said to look at the flowers of the field and the birds of the air -  to take note of how God clothes and cares for them and remember the futility of anxious thoughts (Matthew 6:25-34). There's a reason He also used nature and agriculture in so many of His parables that describe the Kingdom (Mark 4:1-20); Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:31-32; Matthew 20:1-16 etc). There's a reason Paul says in Romans 1 that simply by taking a look at the world around us, we can see visible evidence that there is a God. 

Nature is part of how God conveys Himself and His character to humanity. It's a constant aspect in our ever-changing world that helps us pause and reflect and reorient ourselves to the bigger picture of things. And this is why nature must play an essential role in the regaining and the maintaining of mental health. Studies are showing that even just a small but consistent exposure to nature everyday - taking a walk, caring for plants or flowers or some growing thing, enjoying the benefits of "blue spaces" with lake, river, or ocean views, hiking in the wilderness - all contribute greatly to improving our concentration, lowering our stress levels, improving our mood, and so much more. 

These are all things that our ancestors, who lived more off the land than most of us do now, understood. In general, they were more grounded than we are because they interacted with the God-designed patterns of life - something those now living in over-populated cities with miles of asphalt and the ever-present hum of general noise are totally disconnected from. And maybe this begs the question of what degree we'll go to, regardless of where and how we live, to cultivate beauty and connection to nature in our personal life. Maybe our current literal or figurative view blocks us from seeing what's right in front of us - what God has already given for our healing but we are too "busy" to pursue its benefits. 

If you live in the city, perhaps you have to go to greater lengths to find what those in more rural areas enjoy more accessibly and easily. But if it's still worth it to you, you won't mind the extra effort. You'll find the time. You'll drive the additional distance. You'll do what you can to create that connection in your life because you know you need it. Yes, maybe you can't readily see the stars or much greenery or hear many birds or sit by the water or talk to animals or gaze at flowers where you live... but I'm certain you know or can find some spots where you're able to within a reasonable distance. 

If you live in the country, maybe it's easy to take for granted the fact that you can appreciate and take in views others have to work a lot harder for. Maybe it's important to remind yourself that your convenient exposure to nature is a gift, a privilege. Something you never want to lose sight of because it's just. that. precious. 

Whether it's our mental health, our relationships, our physical wellbeing, our spiritual growth, or anything else, it's just a fact that we'll make time for what we value most. And in today's world where money and position and higher education and corporate success drive nearly everything, it can be a choice of defiance in a way to give yourself permission to get closer to the earth and therefore, closer to God. Pursuing the priorities of greatest worth is always a challenge and an invitation to live differently... counter-culturally, even. But it's an investment of time and energy that, I believe, our bodies, minds, and spirits will thank us for. It's a present to ourselves that allows us to go against the drain of 9-5, screen-based living and get back to our roots and beings designed for a world that is alive and beautiful... just like the God who made all of it and who also made us.