The first book of scripture, sacred and about God, is the natural world, which has existed since the world began 14 billion years ago. The second book of scripture is the written Bible, which has only existed for about 2,000 years.
We basically threw out the first book for much of the last 2,000 years and gave most of our attention to the written book, which has kept us outside of direct experience. Words, even and most especially “holy words” and authoritative words, when used apart from any experience of an Eternal Word, tend to create argumentative people. Words are often several steps removed from true experience.
We did not honor and learn from the primary Bible of creation and consequently do not honor and properly use the second Bible. We largely mishandled the written word of God for our own ego purposes, instead of receiving it inside of the mystery, awe, silence, and surrender, that the natural world demands of us and teaches us.
A fundamental attitude of awe is the primal religious experience and the beginning of the search for God. Only people who can fully surrender to things beyond themselves can experience awe, wonder, or enchantment.
Creation is our first and final cathedral. It is the one song of praise that never stops singing. May we find time to “kneel” in this cathedral, and discover a Mystery that is so much larger than ourselves. This will take us to a true reverence for the written word of scripture, which was built upon this primal awe of nature that bows before everything.
Isaiah 55:12-13 “You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
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