“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” John Muir

 

Nature and solitude are water for the divine seeds of consciousness planted in our being. When soul is not nurtured it atrophies. Souls that have been starved are zombies, ghosts, phantoms and unrealized selves. Humans are endowed with the capacity for self-awareness, to operate beyond the lizard brain of survival. Chaos should rule the cosmos, but divine grace called form from chaos. Why do so many of us live like lizards then? Because we don’t water and cultivate consciousness! Self-reflection is like a garden that will yield its life giving fruit in season to all who will tend to their soul. What soul will be left to save if you don’t water yours? As the songwriter Jewel said, “Who will save your soul if you don’t save your own?” We move towards a living death when we give all our energy to that which is impermanent, and passing away. Socrates wisely stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living!” The ancient Hebrews explained soul as the breath of God. We should choose to reflect upon this divine breath that animates our being. Ask yourself, what in me is temporal and passing, what is divine and permanent? This cultivated awareness is but a spark, a given light that must be fanned into flame.

 

I went solo camping a few nights ago in the Mojave Desert and perched on a magnificent sand dune for the night. I underestimated traffic, got lost and was not able to get on the trail till after dark. I skittishly strolled with my forty-pound pack into the blackness. As I reflected upon my unfolding adventure I pondered how Jesus took many journeys like this too. I’m sure his forty day excursion out into the Judaean Desert was much more raw and challenging than my little jaunt. I had some great snacks, epic REI gear, a cell phone, had my prius a few miles away and the devil did not show up on my camping trip. Being raised with these stories of the devil showing up really have fucked with my confidence and I feel more like a jumpy dear than a brave lion when I’m alone. I resent this and have gone to many years of therapy to try and recover my courage, but this is another blog all together. However thin this Jesus connection was, I felt it, and blessed for the reflection. I thought, “Jesus you get this, maybe as I feel the desert calling me tonight you felt it call then.” The connections I make about God through nature you also made while you went out. Maybe, like John Muir said, “Going out, I found, was really going in.” I think this was a valid and important connection point for my spiritual journey with Jesus.

 

The point of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert was to prepare for his ministry. He was going out, or in if you will to nourish his soul with the water of solitude and nature. The devil showing up seems to not be the point of this story, but the universal temptation we all face, to live by worldly values. I found this helpful commentary on Jesus and his temptation on Wikipedia:

 

“Temptations were hedonism (hunger / satisfaction), egoism (spectacular throw / might) and materialism (kingdoms / wealth). John the Evangelist in his epistle calls these temptations “in world” as “lust of eyes” (materialism), “lust of body” (hedonism) and “pride of life” (egoism). Temptations aim to mislead and pervert three main human characteristics; to think, wish and feel which are inside mind, soul and heart…Christians are called to search for divine virtues; faith, hope and love that relate them directly to God who Himself is Truth, Beauty and Goodness.”

 

With Jesus we too should heed the call of the spirit into the wilderness to be prepared for the good work God has for us his children. If we are grounded in hedonism, egoism, and materialism we will not be able to live in the divine virtues of faith, hope and love. Its these virtues we must cultivate to be true followers of Jesus. Get out of your comfort zone and face your fears, constantly be willing to question your values, and life. Lets follow the Spirit of God bravely into the wilderness and rid our souls of the societies values and infuse our hearts with lasting values and virtue the will echo through eternity.

 

Teaching Modeled:

Flow the Spirit

 

The Practice:

Solitude in Nature

Jesus, you pitched a plan and caused many in humanity to believe. You helped us hope that our creator is a good and loving father. You also told us that you would return quickly and well, where are you. For 2000 years we have been dying in this hope that you would redeem creation, all humanity and usher in your kingdom of peace. It is frustrating that you never came back, and your followers wait while scorned by scoffers and history a like. “Where is your teacher, where is your God,” they say. Jesus, you presented a wonderful plan, lead by example and it makes our hearts fear we live a lie, a false hope. “To whom else do we turn, who else has the words of life?” Apostle Peter.

Jesus, you speak hope and awe into my heart, yet at times you scare me in your apocalypse. Will you separate us in love and judgment and what the fuck does this mean? What is the afterlife, and did we just invent it? I trust you with most of my heart, but there is a part that is scared that you are petty and violent like Moses described your father to be. Im glad that you brought a new word after Moses! I think you are love… I hope you are… I hope this whole faith has a primary grounding in truth and what is. So much of religion is man made… Jesus, what about all this pain? What about injustice? What do we do with our pain, our broken dreams, our political preachers, our false dogma, and the tension your teaching places upon us? There is so much beauty, hope and faith in the storm and the quite river, but they can shift so fast and bring us to an end and the same thing that brings inspiration can bring suffering.

To be your follower, to place my hope in your teaching, to believe you will return in loving justice is my faith. I am still discovering what faith is and what it is not. I declare the words of our current poet, Alexie Murdach, “my salvation lies in your love.” I await your return as so many who have died in this same hope. Raise me from my slumber in this life and when I am gone. May I see things as they are, strong in faith, rich in love. Come Jesus come.

 

I like this quote by John Muir and it gives rise to hope in its dark muse.

“We soon cease to lament waste and death… and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us.” John Muir

 

 

The Teaching:

“Let not your heart be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

 

The Practice:

Give your heart permission to contain the hope along side of the doubt. Let go of dualism (either or thinking) and allow what is to be. We can hope in the darkness, we can hope in the light, we can ask questions and still allow faith to exist. I give you permission to be human in case you are holding yourself and others to too high of a standard.

 

Lyrics by Alexie Murdach

“When I am alone

When I’ve thrown off the weight of this crazy stone

When I’ve lost all care for the things I own

That’s when I miss you, that’s when I miss you, that’s when I miss you

You who are my home

You who are my home

And here is what I know now

Here is what I know now

Goes like this..

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, my salvation lies

In your love, in your love, in your love”