The Journey

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-10

I consult Facebook every day. Because I am connected to a community of caring and perceptive people, I am rewarded with many heartening things. But the feed I scroll through also contains many small-minded posts from others who have friended me for various reasons, or from marketing sources. 

A few nights ago I checked Facebook after a tiring day and read something hypocritical written by an acquaintance, on a very timely subject. I had a knee-jerk emotional response of indignation and disappointment. 

I had to step outside of myself for perspective and realized that I was reacting to something with disproportionate strength of attention and emotion. So often, when this happens, I discover I have spent too much time on an activity of little worth. 

Through the day, I try to monitor what draws my attention. I have to turn off the car radio sometimes, because the sky is too beautiful to split my attention with (other than driving safely). Sometimes the channels I have to change are in my thought patterns. My mind is fed by everything I see and experience, and it does not always tend to ruminate on the most inspiring, joyful, and courageous things. Especially when I am weary, I find I need to choose carefully what I listen to.

Like many people I know, I have an ongoing project for personal growth. With the new year, I feel renewed energy for pursuing the current steps in my goals. When the poet Mary Oliver died recently, many of her words were reprinted in articles about her. I found them to resonate with my inner journey. Her references to nature reminded me of how much I want a deeper relationship with God's world, and how it requires turning down the volume drastically on the attention-getters in the material world. 

It really doesn't matter that Facebook gives as much space to things that matter as to things that irritate. One is not required to listen to the news in order to get on with the day. Everything that catches attention is not as worthy as the thing that the discriminating mind has the power to pursue. But this is a lesson that is ongoing with me. I am amazed at how far I have to go.

This prayer is excerpted from "The Journey", one of the many compelling poems by Mary Oliver.

God of the earth which teaches me when I pay attention, help me to be fueled by these thoughts: "One day you finally knew what you had to, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice--But you didn't stop. You knew what you had to do...Little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own, that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world...." May your voice be the one I listen to above all others, and most deeply in my heart. Thank you for the gift of your world to teach me about your love. Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2019)