the birds don't know they have names
"the birds don't know they have names" - said by Mark Doren to Thomas Merton
I have a copy of 'A year with Thomas Merton' which has a small section of his writing for each day of the year. Even on days when there seems little time for reading, i usually manage to read this first thing in the morning. Sometimes, like today, it provides enough to think about; probably more than reading some especially 'worthy' piece of religious writing.
In today's piece, Merton describes watching some birds near his hermitage and feeling closer to God than he sometimes feels in prayer or contemplation. I think this is an important point and is actually a good way 'in' for anyone who wants to be closer to God, but perhaps, at least initially anyway, feels uncomfortable or at least hesitant about getting more involved with 'official' religions.
Most of us have access to nature, even if we don't realise it. Even in built up cities, there are small areas where wildlife can be found. This may not be the wolves of Yellowstone or even the the Puffins at Bempton cliffs but look closely though and you will probably find a small insect at least. Spend some time watching the insect closely, very closely, and wonder at its life. The insect (or bird or mouse etc) has no concerns about the things that worry us in our daily lives. They don't ''doom scroll' on social media but just get on each day doing what an insect usually does.If you can't even find an insect, spend that time looking closely at a flower or leaf instead.
It is worth thinking about that. If we spend our days less concerned. or at least involved, with things we have no control over and focus on life and the people and nature around us, we may just feel that little bit closer to God ourselves.
"Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude, where everything I touch is turned into prayer: where the sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is in all." - Thomas Merton (from Thoughts in solitude)
