Spirit Matters: A gentle light speaks above the noise

I believe nature speaks.

When we look with the right vision, we can find evidence of the Divine everywhere – in the darkness, no less than the light; in the storms, no less than the bright, clear skies.

Nature is its own sacred scripture, and the more time we spend in quiet receptivity, the more Mother Nature will share her wisdom with us.

I have always been a morning person. At various times in my life, I have risen to walk in the early morning light. The gentle natural awakening offers a conducive environment for quiet listening and wisdom-growth.

It occurred to me this morning how true this is, as I noticed the gentle, early morning light shining on parts of one side of the tree outside the window. The other side of the tree was still in the waning shadows of the night, but not for long.

I don’t know about you, but I have been overwhelmed for years with the unadulterated chaos on the world stage we are living in right now. It is often frightening to exist right now, and the 24/7 access to news we have doesn’t make it easier.

Chicken Little has amped up his “sky is falling” warning to the point the majority of us are walking around in a constant state of anger, fear and anxiety.

All that manufactured noise from various media, is not the whole truth, though it often seems that way. To listen to those voices is to dwell in a pit of apocalyptic fear.

It could seem impossible to find any sense of hope to carry us through this darkness.

We must intentionally choose to step back from all the noise.

By the grace of God, I have cut way back on the time I spend online, although I still have a long way to go. All that media time has given way to more intentional time in the quiet, and in that quiet, the still, small voice of the Holy One is becoming more audible to me.

Take that tree outside the window this morning, for example.

That gentle light from the rising sun, contrasted with the shadow on the other side, reminds me that God has not abandoned us. It is just that there are so many other voices clamoring for our attention, we don’t notice that quiet, gentle light when it humbly and faithfully appears every day.

Like clockwork.

Even when it is cloudy outside, the sun is still there; it is simply hidden. On those cloudy days, we won’t see the gentle light on the side of the tree; still the source from which it comes remains.

This light on the side of the old tree outside is even more meaningful when you consider how many storms trees weather throughout their lives.

The winds and rain blow and pound against the tree, and in most cases, the storms only make the tree double down in its roots, and grow stronger, until it is this beautifully unique being that symbolizes strength and beauty and persistence.

The same strength and beauty and persistence we gain as we weather the storms in our individual and collective lives.

That gentle light shining on the tree this morning, was the quiet voice of the Holy One speaking with humility and love, offering reassurance of its ongoing presence in our world. Turns out the Divine is far more eloquent in the Silence than a thousand talking heads or politicians perennially competing for the limelight.

Pay attention to the gentle light, and the Great Silence from which it emerges. For that is where genuine strength and nobility originates.

And that is where we will find the wisdom we need to move forward through our collective darkness, and back into the light.

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.