Shoes off!
I want the full impact of God’s grandeur. Well, this is a pleasant surprise. As I start walking in the parking lot of the building where Alison has an appointment, I don’t expect to find a wooded trail, but here it is, snaking down into the trees that fill the gap between office complexes. I’m mostly trying to use this hour to get steps in. That I can do it in nature is a major plus. Today, as I ramble, a poem is playing in my head. God’s Grandeur (included below) is one of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ greatest works, a sonnet that points to the Lord’s fingerprints of glory in the created world despite how humans have “seared,” “bleared,” and “smeared” it. He adds: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. This image literally walks with me today. As my sneakers soak up the dew, I keep thinking about the concept of being one step removed from the grandeur of God in the world around me. What is that insulation, that self-imposed layer I’ve added that dulls my awarene...
