Two Shoes

I was hiking in The Tetons. As I found my way on the trail I looked up. Coming towards me at a very slow rate was a mature couple.  Their appearance was eye popping.  They appeared to have come from a photo shoot for a catalogue company.  They were really dressed for the occasion as they sauntered through the cathedral of the great outdoors.  As we would say in Ireland, "there was no rush in them!!!" They were special.  So I greeted them with my usual greeting, "how are you doing today?"  Back came this awe-full reply, in such a wonder-full tone of voice, "UNIQUELY."  Along with "uniquely" came  a gracious smile. They passed on and I?  I was caught up in a strange reality, I am still after all the years, working to figure out. That moment in time has left a lifetime of nourishment.  I wrote about that sacramental event  in "Soul Searching".  Many years later I was listening to a person speak, and lo and behold they referenced that event in their conversation.  I am becoming more convinced that the simplest is the most profound.

Christ wears "two shoes" in the world: nature and scripture. Both are necessary to understand the Lord, and at no stage can creation be seen as a separation of things from God.  We do not know Who God is."  Blessed John Scotus. (We Irish claim him as one of our own). "Every visible and invisible creature is an appearance of God."

 Two great quotes to help us in the continuing reflection on the sacredness of all creation, it’s sacramentality.  That is to say all creation is a place where we can encounter The Creator of all creation.  When we respond to the call of the mountains, seas, rivers, streams, woods, beaches, we have a desire, maybe not expressed to seek and be touched with a reality we have no words to describe, but we somehow know we need.  We are all called to return to our roots.  We all seem to have a deep desire to return to the womb.  Since that is impossible, we settle for the immersion into the womb of nature.