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The Desert
By gartenfische | May 29, 2008
The desert has always been holy for me, even before I knew what holy was. Or, I should say, when I knew in my bones what holy was but was ignorant of the larger truths of God. My dad took us desert camping when we were kids and that feeling of dry wind and the calm it carries has always stayed with me. It roots me. I close my eyes and feel God is close.
Friends who have been reading me for a while know that I’ve been in a spiritual desert of sorts (my sort, I guess) for a while. So this particular trip, where our two long hot dry hikes led to beautiful water—one a waterfall and the second a gorgeous spring, below—means a lot to me. I feel this is a message from God—if you stick with me, don’t wander off, but keep following this path through the desert, you will reach life-giving water. The photo above was taken on the same hike as the one below. Not a sign of water and then we round a bend and voilà (yes, that’s a sheer drop off on the upper left):
I see why the Abbas and Ammas chose the desert, rather than say the mountains—not because it is dead but because it is spare, there are few distractions and we come face to face with ourselves. For this reason, of course, it’s an excellent metaphor for the spiritual journey where we are forced to see ourselves in a bright light; we cannot hide. Everything, as the movie I haven’t seen says, is illuminated.
And the silence of the desert is complete—even when birds sing, there is a background of utter silence. I could have used a few more days in that silence. I’ll have to go back.
The image of the desert as dry and desolate is accurate, but it is also filled with life. And don’t forget the light!
Here’s some desert life (we were blessed to arrive in late spring when cacti and other wild growing things were blooming). See the evidence of little creatures in the first photo—probably lizards. Life we saw, aside from plants, include a coyote, rabbits, lizards, hawks, crows, hummingbirds, swallows, finches and other birds. But no snakes (sorry Yogamum).
And look how life manages to survive in a dry climate—this was taken on the way to those falls in yesterday’s post:
This was taken the day we left, which turned out to be rainy (a nice respite for a long drive):
May 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Those are lovely photographs! The incongruity of blooming cacti has always intrigued me.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Kirsten, yes blooming cacti do seem incongruous. As does coming across a spring or a waterfall in the desert!
May 29th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Yes! The desert is alive … it only seems dead to the eye that doesn’t see beyond the surface of things.
Beautiful pictures!
May 29th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
You know I love the desert too. In it one confronts oneself in a particular way, I believe this truly.
The blooms of the desert still my heart.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
The photographs are stunning. I liked your analogy about following God and finding water. This post has made me appreciate the desert more. I’ve always wondered about desert hermits, etc. but your descriptions help.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I’m glad you’re back. Thank you for the pictures and as always your lovely words. You always touch me deeply.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Thank you.
Your deserts seem to be the opposite of our mangrove swamps where everything on the surface looks wet, dark, dank & dead clogged–but once you look closer there are small flowers, small fish, small crabs–
like both places are physical spaces between no time to think frenzied life & no life stillness
May 30th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Thanks, all of you.
Ovidia—yes! I love your description of the places between.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Well, I’m sad you didn’t see snakes, but what gorgeous things you DID see.
I love the desert too, having grown up there. It is a holy place, as you say.
May 31st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
YM, I was hoping you would comment, wondering if you saw the desert as holy, having grown up there, or if you saw it as desolate and a place to get away from. Glad it’s holy to you, too.
June 8th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
oh, what gorgeous pictures! you are making me miss the desert. and I agree with you, in the desert you need to pay attention, but there is A LOT of life there.
June 15th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Thanks for the photos. I, too, love the desert and would like to spend more time there. I’ve spent a lot of time wandering in my spiritual desrt, but not lately. Except in retrospect. Trying to learn from my desert experience.