Finding God: Here, There, and Everywhere

From the most powerful star in our solar system to a single, insignificant grain of sand, every part of creation reveals God’s beauty, wisdom, and love for us. Which is why my friend call’s nature, God’s greatest medicine. There is something therapeutic about being surrounded by God’s presence.

I was scrolling the socials the other day when I ran across a beautiful picture of a long row of shelves taken in bookstore. The caption simply read: church.
 
My first instinct was to reply, “this is not a church.” But I succumbed to judgement, and I searched the #church to see what other people thought. I found pictures of exotic beaches, amazing mountaintop vistas, a yoga class, and even a quaint Irish pub along random pictures of actual houses of worship.
 
If you have spent any time with us over the years, there’s a good chance you heard us say “Church isn’t a building. It’s people.”

And couldn’t that mean people on hiking trails? Or in a breath work class? Or someone sitting in a pub with a pint and few good friends?

After all, God is everywhere, right? Or do you see God as some distant deity living in an exotic gold city where only a few lucky folks get through the pearly door. 

It’s hard to convince anyone who sees God through this lens, or the church, for that matter, that every space is holy and sacred if only because God is there.

If this is true in a beautiful cathedral in Spain or a simple house in Sherman Oaks then the same should be true about a rainforest in Costa Rica or in an arid desert in Sudan.  This shouldn’t sound weird to us. The Bible is full of stories of God being revealed in nature.

There’s the story of Adam and Eve hanging out with God in the garden. Moses meeting God in a burning bush. Elijah hearing God in the silent wind. And of course, Jesus who frequently wondered off in nature to be alone with his heavenly Father.

Then, there’s this psalm, where the poet looks at creation and draws this portrait of the Creator.
 
I love this psalm because it reminds me of my favorite saint, Francis of Assisi.
 
As the patron saint of ecology, animals, and peacemaking, Francis taught us that every living thing has a unique way of speaking about God. He believed God is in the center of everything. And he saw every bug, tree, bird, fish, and plant as a living testimony to God’s providence and power.
 
I reckon this is why nature is often the centerpiece of Jesus’ sermons. He pointed to the lilies of the field and the birds of the air to show us God’s faithfulness and provision (Mt. 6:28-30). He spoke of seeds and wheat and even weeds to describe God’s kingdom. And compared the movement of the Spirit to the wind (John 3:8).
 
Even the Apostle Paul wrote that nature testifies to God’s existence, leaving us without excuse not to know God (Rom. 1:20). All that to say nature is God’s greatest missionary.
 
Meister Eckhart echoed this sentiment, saying, “A person who knew nothing but creatures would never need to attend any sermons, for every creature is full of God. A book of their own.”

Bless the Lord, O my soul.
    O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
     wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent;
    you set the beams of your chambers on the waters;
you make the clouds your chariot;
    you ride on the wings of the wind;
 you make the winds your messengers,
    fire and flame your ministers.
You set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it shall never be shaken.
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they flee;
    at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys,
    to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal;
    the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams[e] the birds of the air have their habitation;
    they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
                                              Psalm 104:1-13

The psalmist uses the earth’s elements as visages of God’s greatness. God’s clothes are made of majestic light. God’s bed chamber is water. God’s ride is a chariot made of clouds and wind. Rainbow clothes, water beds, and a sky blue Cadillac - sounds like God still lives in the 1970’s!
 
It’s worth noting the psalmist speaks of God in the present tense imagining God here. And there. And everywhere among us. Which tells me that if we want to see God, all we need to do is look all around us.
 
From the most powerful star to an insignificant grain of sand, every part of creation reveals God’s beauty, wisdom, and love for us. Which is why my friend call’s nature, God’s greatest medicine. There is something therapeutic about being surrounded by God’s presence.
 
A few years ago, I was on a silent retreat in Cleveland. I found a little nook hidden in the forest, and settled in. As I focused on my breathing, my heart began to keep time with the sounds of nature. I’m not sure how long I sat there but when I opened my eyes there were three young deer eating grass - all within arm’s reach of me. This divine trinity reminded me just how close God really is to us.
 
In the book of Job we read, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10).
 
The author of that story reminds us that this world is full of God’s imagination and creativity. Mountains, oceans, deserts, trees every part of creation proclaims the unspoken glory of God’s generous love. And yet, it’s only humans who question it and neglect it.

Kathleen Bostrom writes, “A love for God’s creation is enhanced when we see the heavens and earth through the eyes of the Creator, who took the time to stop after every object created to declare, ‘This is good.’”
 
Now, here’s a fun fact: in the creation story, there are only two instances where God does not pronounce something as “good.” The separation of light from dark. And the division of heaven from earth.
 
In contrast, everything else—from every rat and moth to elephant, mushroom, dandelion, or human soul God has declared good. This inherent goodness is what connects all of creation including you and me to God “Everything in creation belongs to the large family of God,” declared Henri Nouwen. If we believe God is love, then we are a part of that gracious, interconnected heartbeat.
 
I think when we are able to embrace this truth, that we are God’s beloved, made good, not only will we see ourselves and each other in a more caring light, but we will also deepen our understanding and worship of our Creator. When we pause to honor our interconnectedness, our souls can’t help but be lifted “in wonder and awe.”
 
Think about a time when you watched the sunset or a cooper hawk gliding in the wind your body reacts positively doesn’t it. Your heart is lifted, making you feel whole and elated, like you’re part of something greater than yourself.
 
If you’ve ever stood underneath a canopy of stars you know what I am talking about. The sheer number shimmering specks is so overwhelming, it can truly take your breath away. One cannot look at the night sky and not be humbled.
 
I experienced this on an unforgettable trip to Tanzania. Without any light pollution to interfere, the sky looked like an enormous diamond, sparkling with billions of facets. Each star felt so within reach that it seemed you could just pluck them from the heavens. Standing there speechless, I imagined diving into that vast celestial expanse and hearing God whisper, “Now this is good.”
 
St. Francis wanted us to know that God is everywhere. And we are one in that everywhere with everything. And with everything, we are made good.
 
In John’s gospel, Jesus said, I and the Father are one which some take to mean he and God are exclusively joined. But I think he wants us to know that just as he is one with God, so are we. This does not mean we are God. But that we are a part of God and God is a part of us.
 
Just as Jesus opens our hearts to let us know we are God’s beloved, he also opens our eyes so we can see God all around us, and worship God with a life in humbled awe.

To live life without taking notice of the world around you is to miss out on one of the most tangible and beautiful ways God speaks to us.
 
Let us enter the world with our eyes on God who is revealed in a billion variations of flora and fauna as well as in all the different faces of those around us.
 
Especially in the faces we try to avoid - the hungry, the tired, the sick, and the dying. By closing the gap between us and them, as Jesus and Francis demonstrated, we become the living embodiment of God’s glory, that helps others be humbled in awe.
 
We can testify to all the amazing things God is doing right here, right now —by loving others as God loves us, and by caring for all of creation as God cares for us.
 
As St. Francis taught, wherever there is life, there is God. And as Jesus showed us with his own life, wherever God is, there is love.

So whenever or wherever the body of Christ gathers in love, the church comes alive — be it here, there, and everywhere.
 
No matter where you are, may your heart sing, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” For the One who made us out of stardust has declared us all good.
  
 
 
 
Work Cited
Adapted from God Is Here. And There. And Everywhere. (October 10, 2021)
Bartlett, David L. and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. Feasting on the Word, Year B Vol. 3. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009).
Nouwen, Henri. Bread For The Journey. (Convergent, 1997).
Rohr, Richard. Excerpts from his daily devotional Every Creature Is An Epiphany (accessed on 10.02.21).