Drawing and Writing Poems to See

Phil Cousineau in his book, The Art of Pilgrimage, talks about the importance of seeing, of truly looking with your own eyes, as a way of soulful travel.
Spring has sprung. And I am finding myself anxious to sail some more. Sailing has always been soulful work, and joy, for me. So when I stumbled upon Cousineau's book I immediately became interested. For pilgrimage is soulful travel.
Here is what he says about drawing as a tool of the pilgrim:

Art critic Robert Hughes reminds us that in the nineteenth century, "Every educated person drew as a matter of course. ... Drawing was an ordinary form of speech, used as a pastime or aide-memoire, without pretensions to ' high' art. Nevertheless, this general graphic literacy was the compost from which the greatest artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were able to grow: Degas, Eakins, Picasso, Matisse. It was gradually abolished by the mass camera market." ... The question of the day is: Does the average person see as well with the camera as with a pencil in hand? (102, 103)

And again what he relates regarding writing poems as a way to become aware of what is happening within and around us.

For one friend who had difficulty remembering details from his travels, I suggested he take on the task of writing a poem every day during his journey abroad. The daily task proved impossible for him, so he decided to focus his attention on a one-week stretch through Paris, Prague, and Florence. To this day, his memories of that time are the fondest of all his travels because, as he told me, "when everything is a possible poem, the world is suddenly far more interesting." (111)

I think this year I'll add a pad and pencil to my boating kit.

Covental Connections

Yesterday while attending church, the pastor preached on being a community of covenant. Covenants are not legal documents filled with 'if ... then' statements. Rather covenants are full of promises: "I promise to ..." These promises are promises to be the best we can be, no matter what the future situations might bring. Often the very promises are challenging for the one promising to uphold, and yet grace is there on both parties. Both parties strive to create an environment that encourages the upholding of the covenant.
Marriages are covenants filled with covenantal language: '... in sickness and in health, ... for better or worse, ... for richer or poorer, ..."
Communities are full of covenants, too.
And what about us and the Creating World in which we live? A world in which many of us find glimpses of the Divine.
Might we also have a covenant with the world we thus inhabit?
The MacNaughtons in a published FAQ answer a series of questions. One such question asks: "While it seems that people living aboard may be dealing with reality better on a psychological plane and are a good example for those ashore, is there any sense in which they actually represent lessons for the future?"
The MacNaughton's answer so struck me as full of covenantal language that I thought I'd share it here in full.

"Yes, because the unreality of life for many people all over the world in both advanced and emerging societies extends to the fact that whether they live in cities our in the countryside they are often consuming vast quantities of irreplaceable resources in an unattainable environment. They see virtually no trees, no biodiversity, no sustainable farming or fishing, and have not made the slightest effort til structure their lives in a way that does not degrade the environment.
"First world living standards and indeed such things as deforestation in countries from the poorest to the richest are an unrealistic strain on the planet's resources unless we radically alter our expectations and the way we live. Any reasonably competent person who studies the facts will come unerringly to the conclusion that radically different patterns of behavior must be adopted by everyone if we are both to have comfortable lives in the "First World"and still bring others up to a level at which they can live secure healthy lives. Yet, who are the people really living these types of lives now? Aside from a few small religious groups and certain lifestyles, if you want to see people living very high quality lives without negative impact on the environment, you want to look at people living on boats.
"People living on boats consume far less of virtually every resource which might worry us about the capacity for sustainable yield or reduction of fixed resources than those ashore and at the same time have a superior lifestyle to the average shore dweller. Even in the third world, people who live aboard boats seem to live better. Indeed the gap in living standards between first world people and third world people is nowhere narrower than among nomad people.
"To this day society as a whole in the First World countries seems to largely ignore the absolute necessity of better ecological decisions surrounding resources and especially poor production and consumption while at the same time sail boats use minuscule amounts of so-called "fossil" fuels. Even the more economical types of displacement power boats are fairly moderate in fuel use. In the case of sailing craft the lifestyle would be economical even using entirely man made fuels or other power resources, such as alcohol, solar power, and wind power generation. These can be structured to have essentially no direct environmental negatives resulting from there use.
"All this supports the impression that it is people on boats or in other sustainable lifestyles rather than the average citizen of the typical industrial democracies who are living in the "real world." (131-132)

Tsunami Relief

Some of you may be wondering how you can help with the Tsunami that hit Japan on Friday. The best bet is to click onto a link in the side-bar under one of the relief agencies. I know financial donations are always welcome, but they may also list different kinds of resources you could also provide: a health kit, sanitation kit, etc. In the meantime we continue to keep all involved in our prayers.

Ash Wednesday & the Start of Lent

note: Bob Steele photo:

On the way home on Monday I was driving down the Semiahmoo Spit watching the birds, when out of my window, level with my head and traveling in the same direction, was a Northern Harrier hunting. He swooped below a bush, and I lost sight of him, only to ride the thermal back up, turn his head and look straight into my eyes. Then he was back to hunting.

An amazing moment.

Upon looking Harriers up in the bird book and on-line, I find that they are common to this part of Washington, I've just never seen one hunting on the spit before.

At times in my life, especially when struggling to make a decision, I have sometimes looked for signs and omens among the wildlife. Sometimes this proves helpful, sometimes not. But I count it a true gift of grace to have encounters with other earth species.

At this particular moment, I was just basking in the glory of the evening with nothing on my mind.

I found this encounter truly a moment filled with grace and awe.

Lent is a time in which we take a good look at ourselves, to see us as we truly are: as God's beloved, but also in need of some work. It is a time for truly seeing and paying attention and hard work.

During this Lenten Season, may you be graced with moments of awe and wonder.