The environment we seek for our encounter with God

Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Scotland. Photo by Paul Barr

​When we travel, we often come across amazing vistas that inspire our awe and wonder at the magnificence of God's creation. It feels as if we can truly sense God's presence and activity. When I was just a kid, we lived a half block from the ocean, and the changing weather would alter how the water looked and sounded. I knew its changing moods and felt as if all eternity moved and had its being in the powerful movement of the tide. At night I was lulled to sleep by the pounding of the waves upon the sand.
 
Each of us has some place in the natural world that pulls our thoughts, at least momentarily, toward the divine. But we can't always be in the mountains, by the ocean, or under the Northern Lights. Your focus this week is to think about the environment you find most conducive to prayer and contemplation. For many, that might be sitting in the sanctuary of a church, cathedral, temple, mosque, or tent where the handiwork of the community brought forth an architectural and artistic vision of a place where God and humans could meet. Or, perhaps, it is a particular piece of artwork that evokes some inner stirring of emotion or tells a powerful story. Or, maybe, it is simply gazing into the candle flame or the crackling fire. 
 
Whatever it might be for you, jot it down and think about why it facilitates contemplation and communion with God. Does it carry memories of significant events, evoke stories from scripture, or does it simply carry you away from the cares of the moment? Whatever it may be, consider how you feel about this place.