Spiritual Perspectives
Heads, Bodies, Fig Trees and Backyards

By Sister Joan Brown
Special to The Independent

Most of us have experienced young children drawing pictures of themselves and their family members. Usually a beautiful big round face with a smile and hands and legs sticking out of the head are drawn. There is no body.

While cute for children, we adults often unconsciously manifest this image in our lives. I believe God created the human body for more than just carrying around a head.

In some respects, the non integration of mind, body and spirit in our culture has led us to the grave ecological challenges of degradation of water and climate change. The wisdom we seek today springs from wisdom gained through a contemplative stance that engages mind, body and spirit. Living out of a contemplative gazing, we come to know that we are part of the body of the earth and all is a miracle created by the Holy One. Naturalist Louis Agassiz reflects this manner of life, "I spent the summer traveling. I got halfway across my backyard."

The book of Job gives insights into the wisdom of kinship God reveals through all the senses. "Speak to the earth and it will teach you."(Job 12:7) Jesus also teaches the disciples that they will find testimony of God's care through more than human thoughts and words, "Look at the birds of the air" and "consider the lilies of the field," (Mt 6:25-33)

In my own backyard this summer I was given a humbling parable. Three summers ago, I planted a cutting from a 40-year-old fig tree that came from a 90-year-old fig tree. I cherish the friend who gave me this gift, but within the first summer the fig tree seemed to die. Last summer I tended, watered and cherished the protruding trunk, but not a green sprout showed forth. This summer, the sticks shooting from the ground were dry and dead. I forgot the tree, but left it stand.

Early one morning I went to leave the chickens and ducks out of their house. Glancing over at the fig sticks, I was greeted by amazing green leaves and shoots. The fig was saying, "Life is about engaging patiently with your whole being into the Mystery."

Our bodies, intellects, spirits and all our senses are created by God and carry wisdom given by God for our ordinary prophetic witness of our lives for the long-term call of cherishing of the earth.

Sr. Joan Brown is a Franciscan working in Ecology Ministry in New Mexico. She may be reached at joankansas@yahoo.com.

This column is the result of a desire by community members, representing different faith communities, to share their ideas about bringing a spiritual perspective into our daily lives and community issues.

For information about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola at the Independent: (505) 863-8611, ext. 218 or lizreligion01@yahoo.com.