In a recent magazine article, an Iowa columnist described a chance encounter with his homeless brother. While visiting and shopping in Chicago with his wife, he happened upon a man rooting in a trash can on Michigan Avenue. When the man’s head popped out of the trash can, the columnist recognized him as his brother, whom he had not seen in over three years. A conversation ensued, then both went on their respective ways. The columnist wrote that every detail of that chance encounter remains etched in his memory. Furthermore, he wrote that on his frequent trips to Chicago, whenever he walks by that trash can it is “a kind of sacred relic that calls out my name every time I walk by.” I am sure it is.
What things, and I do mean things, in your life are a kind of “sacred relic” that points to something greater than itself to you? I suspect we may have multiple things that do this for us. I have the hunting knife of one grandfather, whom I knew, and a Bible of another grandfather who died long before my birth. One of the more unique things for me is a palm tree growing in our front yard. I did not put it there. I suspect a bird “planted” it. The Washington palms, common in Arizona, grow like weeds as their seed scatters. The reason, however, that I like palm trees is because prior to moving to Arizona, every time in my life I was where palm trees were growing, was a time I was on vacation, relaxing and having fun. Somehow all these palms around us here seem to
act subconsciously on me to lighten my mood. I allowed this one to sprout and grow. It is now almost 40 feet tall.
Having recently celebrated Christmas, the birth of God incarnate in the baby Jesus, I am reminded though this is God’s primary way of relating to us, through each other, God is not limited to human flesh or words. God is not above using things, material goods, even, to touch us. In worship we use water for baptism, bread and wine for Holy Communion, material matter to come and touch us in powerful ways.
I am not sure it is God using the Chicago trash can for that columnist or palm trees for me, but I do trust God is not above using anything at God’s or our disposal to bring some word to us. Who has not ever thought of God at least once while watching a beautiful sunset? Can we not see the grandeur and beauty of God as we gaze down and look around while standing on the Grand Canyon’s rim? While you and I might find strange those who speak of vortexes in Sedona, we can share with them the beauty of creation surrounding that Northern Arizona community.
Churches have always used art to communicate particularly back in the days of great illiteracy. Stained glass windows, sculptures, and paintings told the stories of the Bible through art. Even now in our literary days, such artwork can communicate not only the biblical stories to us, but above all, communicate the story and beauty of God to us.
Often, we long for the spiritual in our faith. We long for that which cannot be seen but may be felt or somehow experienced. We long for that which might, if only for a moment, take us away from and out of life’s struggles and transport us to some, however brief, place of peace, solace, or joy. Well and good. But don’t miss that which might be right around you.
Ours is a very material faith, finding it’s grounding in the stuff of the world and in this very life. Rejoice, too, when God is not too proud to reach out to us through the very materials of the world. We can say it was God who created such things as palm trees and inspired authors to write the Bible. I’m not sure God wants credit for hunting knives or trash cans. Yet God’s creativity passed on to us has produced these and so much more. God is so desirous of reaching out to us, God is unafraid to stoop to any level, anything to do so.