Said George Bernard Shaw, "The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig him up there." 

Many of us in the developed western world have recently rediscovered nature's “holy” qualities.

We no longer see the natural world as something to be tamed but view it as a nourishing source that deserves our reverence.

We sure took our sweet time to get to this place! It has been over 150 years since Chief Seattle warned us:

“Bizah, look at that mountain over there and see how the shaded areas reflect the clouds in the sky above. In this way, when we look at the mountain, we can also see the clouds.

“Yes, I can see that, Leela,” responded Bizah. “It’s just like how the outer world reflects back to us something about ourselves. Like the Master said, ‘As without, so within.’”

“And let’s not forget ‘as within, so without,’” added Leela. “Nature sure can remind us of principles of truth if we are open to its language.”

Acting on the recommendation of a friend, I booked six days at the Aerie Resort and Spa in Malahat, British Columbia, as part of my summer vacation.  I was looking forward to a time of solitude, rest, and replenishment. The journey from Vancouver to the resort is short and easy, requiring a half-hour or so helicopter ride to downtown Victoria, followed by car pick-up to the resort, which is just thirty-five more minutes away.

I find the Aerie is exquisite, exceeding any expectations.

Today’s Homo sapiens are the result of a supremely intelligent evolutionary design.

The evolutionary impulse, which to our knowledge began 14.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang, led in due time to the appearance of primates about 50 million years ago.

There is a forest, not far from my home, where I walk regularly. From time to time I meet familiar people on the trails—those who, like me, love to abscond from their busy workday to take in the beauty of the trees and  foliage, the stillness, and the fresh air.

One day last week, I stopped and sat on one of the benches.  As I was sitting in stillness, contemplating the grandeur of the tall pine trees, two women came along.

The younger woman recognized me from previous walks and asked where my little Bishon Frise was.

I answered, “Oh, he died over a year ago.”

“Mine too,” she said.