Listen to the Voice of Creation

By Amy Stockinger, Office Support Manager, Provincial Offices of Vocations and Youth and Young Adult Ministry

The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is "Listen to the Voice of Creation." This call can often be difficult in a fast-paced society where there are movies, shows, social media, internet, music, and podcasts readily available on a variety of devices. For me, the Season of Creation is a reminder to disconnect from technology and reconnect to nature.

Although nature is all around us (even in a busy city), this ecumenical initiative is a great opportunity for us to seek a fuller immersion into nature. Perhaps your town has a trail or park that is removed from the noise of traffic. Maybe you even live near a shrine. Once you’ve found a spot, try to view your journey to that location as a pilgrimage. Then become intentional as you walk or sit there. Engage your five senses to note what you hear, feel, taste, smell, and see. By truly engaging your senses, you can begin to enter into prayer more intentionally. Ask to hear what the Creator is trying to say to you through creation that day.

When I hike a mountain, I like to think of the important moments when divine revelation was given to God’s people on mountains, e.g., the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai and the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. One of my favorite Bible passages is 1 Kings 19:11-13 when Elijah is instructed to stand on Mount Horeb and recognizes God in "a light, silent sound."

The next time you go into nature, take the opportunity to ask: what is God trying to reveal to you if you remove all other noise and truly listen to nature?