God's grandeur

God's Grandeur (Gerard Manley Hopkins)

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent.

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things,

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs -

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

world broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

It is easy to see "the dearest freshness deep down things" in a place like Cameron Highlands, where development has not quite taken its toll (though there are apartments and housing projects sprouting up all round). It has been so refreshing to sit in the cool air in the mornings and appreciate God's grandeur. But these mountaintop (in this case quite literal) experiences are not meant to be the norm. Sooner or later even though the disciples would have liked to stay on at the Mount of Transfiguration, it was back to the lowlands of mundane faith. A much more challenging way to live!
But the challenge may also be to see "the dearest freshness deep down things" even in the lowlands of our faith. I know that I am usually 'blind' to such moments, being too focused on what I have to do (lately there has been much talk about being intentional in spiritual formation....I believe this has its pros and cons......for, unless coupled with childlike openness it can lead to rigidity...more about this later). But I am reminded by Henri Nouwen that there are two disciplines to help us live under God's blessing and claim our belovedness. First is to "listen in prayer". And second to "cultivate presence". Presence is what noticing "the dearest freshness deep down things" is all about. Slow down, eat slowly, walk slowly, talk slowly, read slowly....I hope I will take these practices back with me. Notice the things and people around you. Stop to chat. Be present to the moment and find God's blessings there. Indeed the Holy Spirit is present and active in the world, with "warm breast and ah! bright wings".