On Saturday night I set my alarm to wake up early on Sunday with every intention of getting up, watching the sunrise, and getting some work done. But as I awoke the next day, I stumbled to the living room, opened the door, stuck my hand outside, and decided the temperature was perfect for a morning walk.
I laced up my boots and loaded Caesar into the Jeep. We took off for Van Wert’s bike path. I knew that at such an early time on a Sunday, the path would be empty as many were getting ready for church. As we began our trek down the bike path, which was outlined with morning dew and fresh mushrooms that must have popped up overnight, my thoughts turned to John Muir, who is famous for his writings on nature and religion, as well as his work with preserving parks.
Muir has many famous quotes but the one that most of us have probably heard is, “The mountains are calling and I must go,” and go into the mountains he often did. He spent his life advocating for nature and writing about its importance, especially in connection with religion.
One of the courses I am taking this semester focuses on religious theories. All of the religious scholars that I’ve read so far assert that religion came about as a way for humans to try to understand nature and how everything works. Nature certainly can be a mystery but it can also bring us each a lot of peace if we take the time to really observe it.
I feel most calm, steady-minded, and connected with the earth when I am outside in nature with my dog. There is a lot of internal healing that can be done within the solitude of the woods. Sunday, I took the time to walk slowly and observe the things going on around me.
One of the most special things I saw on our walk was a beautiful Garden Spider whose brand new web was spritzed with morning dew. The creations that spiders are able to make are truly beautiful. Each part of her web looked so perfect, especially with the sunrise hitting the strands and illuminating her creation.
There is nowhere in the world I’d rather be on a Sunday morning than on a trail with Caesar. For me, this is how I find my inner peace and faith in humanity (and finding faith in humanity is something I really need right now). My worries are washed away as I watch the Garden Spider weave her beautiful web or as I observe morning dew run down a fresh mushroom.
I feel love and comfort as Caesar walks beside me, lifting his head to make sure I am still at his side every once in a while.
John Muir grew up in a very strict Presbyterian home. He read from the Bible every day. But as he grew up he found another source for discovering God — and it was through nature. He once wrote that he’d, “rather be in the mountains thinking of God, than in the church thinking about the mountains.”
Some of us find more of what we need in the beauty and awe of nature than we ever could in an institution. So, to find my inner peace and calm, I’ll do as Muir once said: “Into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”