蜜芽传媒

So we鈥檝e eaten too much, [well many of us have]: we鈥檝e had time with loved ones and opened gifts, and we now know what happened in the last episode of Downton Abbey 鈥� which is why traditionally, today 鈥� St Stephen鈥檚 Day 鈥� is a time to get up and go out.

It might be to watch some sport, to visit relatives or, more likely for many, one of those few days when you go for a long walk if the recent harsh weather in some parts of the north doesn鈥檛 prevent that?

Earlier this week, in church, whilst making last minute preparations for yesterday鈥檚 great festivities, we used a prayer which petitioned that

鈥渓ike the sun in the morning sky, the Saviour of the World will dawn;

Like rain upon the meadows, the Christ will come upon us.鈥�

And I was struck by how very anglo-saxon or Celtic the prayer is.

Whilst we don鈥檛 know very much about the convergence from Rome and Ireland in the 7th century of Christianity in these islands, we do know that the whole rhythm of creation was imbibed so that the faithful could imagine God and appreciate his work.

The trees, the plants, the sun, moon & sky, the running streams and all creation 鈥� as vividly portrayed in many of the Old Testament psalms - is a way of perceiving God at work - if only we get out there and look.

The problem is, that unless we have a dog, or like walking, it鈥檚 not something many of us do enough. In his recent book, What is landscape? John R Stilgoe suggests that we have developed a detached and dysfunctional relationship with the land 鈥� 鈥渕ost people鈥� 鈥� he writes- 鈥渟tare at their screens鈥�.they do not explore, do not see, do not recall, do not get out of cars and walk and see and realise鈥�.

So when the 19th century art critic John Ruskin talks about the poetry of nature as that which uplifts the spirit within us 鈥� it is almost impossible to appreciate such an experience if we don鈥檛 venture out and witness it for ourselves.

I can fully understand when people tell me that they have their deepest and most profound spiritual experiences out of doors in open spaces. They don鈥檛 need buildings. The view from the mountain: the sound of the waves on the beach: the soggy ground and naked trees as the winter sun glimpses through.

This is a day when, if we can, we should be out there, away from our screens recalling and seeing what has always been around us- and still is. Getting out into the great outdoors can be a spiritual experience which surpasses all others.

There is something at least mystical as we are reminded of the power of nature.

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