10th
road trip chronicles continued
The last five days have been spent hiking and exploring in Arches, Bryce, and Zion’s national parks. I’m ashamed to have lived in Utah as long as I have and to have barely grazed the surface of the beauty and warmth it has to offer. At last however I have truly tapped into the beauty that now seems almost overwhelming.
Today and I climbed up a trail that led to a viewing point that leaves you surrounded by jutting red rocks in what seems like impossible formations and colors. I felt filled with reverence, and then kept thinking about how such beautiful locations are nature’s temples. I use the term temple because growing up I was taught a temple was a place so beautiful and sacred God would dwell in it. I have a hard time believing in a such a concrete version of God but I also have a very hard time thinking that anyone, divine or not would rather be inside, or that doing so could make them better sense divinity.
I think that the places I have been over the past few days are a few among many of the beautiful outdoor locations that are holy places, whatever you worship. For me it was a place to go and breath and for a few seconds for once embrace the moment I’m in, for others visual stimulation or physical exertion might be your way to simply revel in being alive, for others I’m sure they believe are enjoying God’s creations and for some others they may worship the very earth they stand on. Either way, we worship. Some nature, some God, some beauty, some ourselves. Thus for each of us(or maybe just most) it is holy, and we are united.
But then, it was just a thought.
