Celtic Christian wisdom says1 that the natural world provides a sacred text. So, we have two books through which God speaks to us…
The first book is the small book (physically speaking) of Holy Scripture. The second book is the big book - the living text of the created universe which includes the great luminaries of the heavens - the sun, moon, and stars as well as the earth, sea, and sky and all the creepy crawlies (including we humanoids) that dwell upon and within it.
It behooves us to read both books. If we limit our reading to only the small book, we miss the vastness and wildness of our creator God and His work. If we only read the big book, we can miss the intimacy of God’s voice in and through Christ; for the Holy Scripture calls us to faithfulness in relationship, including that with strangers, refugees, widows, and the poorest among us.
As Ever,
Jonas
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Newell, J. Philip . Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul (pp. 88-89). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Oh my. Celtic Christianity resonates with me on such a deep level. Why have I not heard of this before?! I thought there was the connection to nature (paganism) and the connection to God (Christianity) and neither the two should cross - ever. I've just been floating since the break from my church. I just bought his book and will let you know if I have found my grounding. I am so appreciative our your insights and opinions. I might not always agree, but I always come away thinking about it. ;)