I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of development and conservation in parks, recreation, and preserved open spaces. Over the last 30 years I’ve witnessed a deep and growing disconnect between people and nature. This disconnect is accelerating as the digital revolution means more people spend less time outdoors in creation, particularly in developed and urban contexts. I believe this disconnect can negatively affect our individual and corporate spiritual health.
Increasing evidence shows that the loss of regular connection with nature (creation) negatively affects the human psyche and our ability to operate in functional societies. When humans are engaged in nature, our brains work differently. People without regular and routine time in creation behave in fundamentally different ways. Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods and Florence William’s The Nature Fix are just two examples of recent books that highlight the science behind these realities.
Christians have been largely silent on this growing disconnect, it seems. I’ve heard little reflection on what spiritual life looks like without regular connections with creation. If Martin Luther’s frequently attributed quote is correct—“God is entirely and personally present in the wilderness, in the garden, in the field”—what happens when man abandons these landscapes? Christians should not take lightly the vital role creation plays in God’s work on our souls. The elimination of close, regular, routine human contact with creation has typified punishment for eons. Now we are doing it voluntarily.
Christians should take time to seriously consider the implications, both individually and corporately. Read More
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