Observations
with the class on the Noland Trail during the beginning of November.
As
the ecosystems of the woods change, building layer upon layer of vegetation and
growth, so do the inner workings of our hearts and our inner witness. Walking
along the trail, I noticed how organisms feed off each other in a way of
symbiosis. On the water, there were turtles on a log where fish in water dwell,
and near the water, there were birds on trees and a tree where an odd shaped
pink mushroom seemingly grew horizontally out of the tree. It depicted to me
the picture of character being built and grown in the midst of an ecosystem.
There are the positive relationships like the mushroom and tree most likely
feeding off one another and the negative ones like the vines that choke out the
trees and kill some of them, wounding others. The woods are like the heart of a
person with trails, streams or water sources, vegetation and creatures. How it
is cared for will determine the health of the environment. As the creatures
hide and run and live, so do the desires of our heart. At times, they seem to
run and jump as they please, and at other times, they hide and dissipate. The
streams of the trail remind me of the things that refresh the soul and give new
strength to those things living just as it is on the trail. The vegetation
along the trails that are dense, and at times and seasons get in the way, are
like the insecurities that choke up faith and growth like thorn bushes or devil
walking sticks. Then there are the securities in our lives like the trees that
provide shade and support to the fertile ground. Lastly, the trails on the
Noland demonstrated the different and multiple avenues to one’s heart, those
things that grab a person’s attention for better or worse. On the way out of
the park, I sat a little bit on a bench and looked out over the small body of
water. I was enamored to see that the forest became engulfed by the pond as if
they had become one in an alternate universe with now other creatures living in
the woods under the water such as the fish and the birds on the water. The
forest self-empties itself like kenosis and becomes one in image with the
water, while at the same time the water empties its previous colors and forms
and takes the image of the forest. Almost as one servant is to another, they
both serve and live with each other. However, there were designed flaws to the
form on the water by nature as leaves floated on the surface of the water,
careless, yet still reflecting their aspect of the worry free lifestyle, and
representing the forest well.
No comments:
Post a Comment