— Eric W. Prenshaw, Corridor CCT Member
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.” – John 1:1-5
I had never heard of Zion National Park until the phone call from the placement agency for my summer internship (https://acmnp.com). As I packed my 1995 Honda Accord for the 2,000 mile westward trek, I wondered what I might find in this unknown corner of Utah. When I applied for this ministry placement to lead worship services while working during the week, I had imagined other national parks such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, or Glacier. Looking back I am thankful for my naivete, because it made the wonders of Southwest Utah all the more glorious to behold.
As I drove into the park for the first time, I noticed the pavement was a different color, the crushed rock of the surrounding cliffs pressed into a red carpet of sorts, marking this a special place. The Virgin River cuts through Zion Canyon sending towering sandstone cliffs soaring 2,000 feet above. I hiked to majestic vantage points such as Angel’s landing and waded through Virgin River Narrows. I noticed the beauty in the cottonwood trees and prickly pear cacti. As a college student from the Carolinas, I felt as if I had arrived on another planet.
In the film adaptation of A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean shares about his experience growing up in Montana as the son of a minister. Between Sunday services, his father would walk the path of the Big Blackfoot River. As Norman narrates, “It was there he felt his soul restored and his imagination stirred. Long ago, rain fell on mud and became rock. Half a billion years ago. But even before that, beneath the rocks are the words of God. Listen. And if [my brother] and I listened very carefully all our lives we might hear those words.”
This same Word reverberated in my soul during my summer in Zion National Park. I was filled with awe as I realized that the same God who formed these deep canyons is the same God that formed me, knows me, and invites me to follow. At the end of the summer I left with a call to ministry. Just as God spoke to Moses in the burning bush, God continues to speak to people in and through creation. I had heard God’s voice and I knew I was called to help others hear that voice too.
God’s creation speaks. Whether it is listening to God’s voice of love speaking within us or marveling at the beauty of the natural world, will we receive this invitation to hear? Gerard Manley Hopkins begins his poem “God’s Grandeur,” “The world is charged with the grandeur of God./ It will flame out, like shining from shook foil.” I love the image of God’s love shimmering off every part of creation, like a piece of aluminum foil. We do not have to go to a national park to hear God’s voice. We can start in our own backyard.
Where do you hear God speak most clearly? What places are most sacred to you? I wonder if you could find time this week to immerse yourself in the natural world? Put your phone on airplane mode, or ever better, leave it behind. Perhaps there is a city, county, or state park close to you. Perhaps there is a forest, stream, or field within walking distance of where you live. Take time to explore. Take time to listen. Notice and pay attention. Hear the Word beneath the rocks, soil, streams, and trees. Join with God in the work of creation and caring for these wild places.