Not far from where I live, there is a granite strewn hill. It’s a “thin place”. A thin place is where heaven meets earth evoking the presence of the Creator. For the Christian, nature has a sacramental dimension. Because pervaded by the Spirit it conveys God’s love. There amidst the granite rocks silhouetted against the blue sky and surrounded by gorse, the living landscape speaks of God. There are many such places in Britain. At the foot of the hill there are remnants of the ancient woodland that originally covered a much wider area.
Around 80 per cent of Britain is thought to have been originally forested. When the Romans arrived this was cut down to 50 percent. To-day it is only 5 percent.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim on men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.”
St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) wrote in one of his letters, “believe me, you will find more lessons in the woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you what you need to learn from the masters.”
Many years later Shakespeare in As You Like it wrote
“ And this our life exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.
I would not change it.”
When Shakespeare wants characters to learn something of the truth about their selves; to reach authenticity, he sends them to the woods. In many of the plays, he sends them into nature where, they learn that the “civilized” world is full of human mischief, not to mention dishonesty and outright treachery. Out in nature, minus the trappings of court life, it is possible to find “good in everything.” It’s possible to see a Stratford boy, working in London, brushing up against Court characters, and observing them, keeping them at arms-length, not dazzled by the titles and pomp, but measuring the artificiality of their conduct.
“All things came into being through Him,” (John 1:3)
From the summit of the hill, in the far distance, the eye can see the ocean sparkling in the spring sunshine, the crests of waves moving slowly towards the shore.
But it is the trees, the silence, broken only by birdsong that evoke “a presence that disturbs me with joy.” That’s a line written by a much loved poet.
William Wordsworth expresses this intuition in his poem ‘Lines written above Tintern Abbey.
“And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.”
I liked this a great deal Malcolm. Tolkien was another who loved trees and woodland and appreciated their spiritual power. His account of the Ents in Lord of the Rings makes that clear. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Hi Geoff, Many thanks.
I’m missing your excellent conributions on DT’s blog. However I’m not going to comment on them myself for the the forseeable future. I found myself getting very depressed.
I am glad to still be in touch with you, as you were one of those whom I should have missed most with the ban from the DT.
With you here, and with some of the others here commenting, really no point going where we are not welcome.
That’s mutual Geoffrey. To be honest if I hadn’t been blocked I shouldn’t have come here. Jessica’s blog is excellent and brings out the best in one. Its full of genuine Christian creativity.
Wonderful post. Thank you.
Thanks Struans. I apprciated your comment.
Wonderful post, indeed. Of course, I speak as one who was born to as raised in the woodland, quite literally of a second growth forest in Indiana, and to this day that is where peace is found.
NEO, I recognize that you’re a kindred spirit. Nature as viewed within the divine dimension takes on a depth and meaning that manifests the Lord of Creation. The Psalms are full of the most lovely images. Hills and valleys, seas and rivers all rejoicing in the praise of God.
Malcolm – I loved this – it is so beautifully written, and you evoke that feeling of oneness with nature which immersion in the wildness of nature can give us – and the feeling of being close to the Creator – thank you
xx
Thank you Jessica
The gratitude is mine – so moving.
http://jabbapapa.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/let-all-mortal-flesh-keep-silence/
Jabbapapa, Thanks for that wonderful youtube.
That is beautiful. I love the violin obligato together with the organ in the background.
The polyphony of the choir is superb. Th way it begins so softly becoming louder and then fading away is most effective.
We have similar experiences of the Presence of God in such Wilderness locations as you describe — so I was sure that you would love this arrangement not only for its ethereal aesthetic beauty, but also for the evocation of that Presence that it recalls to mind …
That hymn has been with me for most of my life. Listening to it, even on the small speakers of my PC is a transfiguring experience. I saw that you posted it on DT’s blog and I listened to it earlier to-day. The sunlight shining down from the window is very evocative. One is reminded of the smoke of the incense illuminated by the sun’s rays during Mass.
I’ve listened to this recording several times now over the past two days, and I can well believe that this hymn has been part of your life in the way that you describe.
The English lyrics seem to distill the essence of St. Thomas Aquinas’ own 13th century version, but then to transcend that version into a more fully realised poetic and spiritual teaching.
The simplicity of the hymn in its expression of the doctrines is magnificently beautiful.
I agree Jabba – it is wonderful.
The melody is as important as the words and enhances the profundity of the hymn.