Release Date: October 7th, 2026Landscapes
- by Janet Bauman
This seems like a particularly fitting time of year to reflect on landscapes. In the Christian liturgical church calendar it is the Season of Creation from September 1 to October 4.
September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - Orange Shirt Day, encouraging us to be particularly mindful of the story of the land, and its Indigenous Peoples.
Recently I had the opportunity to take part in two retreats in beautiful settings in the Canadian Shield. In both cases the landscape itself seemed like a participant. God spoke through coloured leaves, shimmering water, solid rocks, majestic trees, and the creatures of this landscape.
How might Moses represent each one of us and the transformation that can occur when we encounter “I am who I am”?
I was reminded of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Horeb, in the form of a burning bush. God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:4-5). Moses encounters God, and God reveals the Divine Name, “I am who I am.” How was Moses transformed by this encounter? How did his relationship with God and the ground under his feet change that day? How might Moses represent each one of us and the transformation that can occur when we encounter “I am who I am”?
Jesus regularly reflected on things in Creation in his teachings and parables
During both retreats we were encouraged to see physical landscapes and their features in ways that represent ourselves, our faith and life journeys, our inner landscapes. The granite shoulders of the Canadian Shield can remind us of the heavy burdens of care we bear as parents or caregivers. The gentle rock and lap of water can bring soothing calm to a frazzled soul. Jesus regularly reflected on things in Creation in his teachings and parables: soil and seeds, weeds and flowers, trees and fruit, water and wind, fish and birds, sheep and goats.
Invite God to meet you in and through that landscape or feature.
Consider landscapes that you have encountered, or long to see: forest, mountain, seashore, grassland, desert. Or consider a particular feature of a landscape from the massive to the miniscule: stars, galaxies, trees, acorns, rocks, moss, streams, clouds and creatures great and small. Invite God to meet you in and through that landscape or feature. If you are in an urban setting it may seem more difficult to find, but even looking out a window or sitting under a tree works just fine.
How does the landscape teach you about God?
How does that physical landscape relate to your inner landscape? How does it reflect your experience right now? If there are things that are broken and damaged in the landscape, how do they speak to your wounds and scars? How does the landscape teach you about God? How might it help to open your mind, heart and body to a “holy ground” experience, to an encounter with “I am who I am”?
- Janet Bauman is on the pastoral team at St. Jacobs Mennonite Church