I live on the 21st floor overlooking Philadelphia. Our building is a bit run down, but it is located in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I am not just saying that. I see the glory of God out my window every day.
One of the reasons I travel is to experience that “aha” of seeing God in new places. At one point Pennsylvania was one of those new places I discovered. The sun beams on Greek water. The Sequoias smell mysterious. The spray drenches everyone at Victoria Falls. Brugge tastes like chocolate. The whole creation feels like an immense expression of love. Just like you are. You are more love being born again. If I am looking, I see it. I’d travel to see it.
These days we might want to scale back the travel so we don’t keep pouring more carbon into the air — poor Sequoias this week! But when I see the Schuylkill back in its banks and the grass popping back up; when I go down the shore and feel the wind in my face and the pulse of the waves; when I see the first leaf turn red, there is that immense love in my own back yard. I won’t miss out.
I travel so I can find God at home and come home to find God. Travel is the movement of pilgrimage I need to keep teaching my body and soul — so I do not only remember sitting around watching murder on TV! I travel because it stretches my adaptability; it exercises my growth membrane. We are growing bodies on a psychological/spiritual development journey. It is in our nature to look over the boundaries of our defense structures and our societies of control and go someplace next. When I go to Zambia, I am cooperating big time.
I love all the versions of this old song I am giving you today. It is foreign to English-only people but it feels like home. It honors the Italian-speaking restauranteurs who welcomed us into their Boston neighborhood last weekend.
I hope you have heard it so you can just experience the sun, the moon, the wind and water in it. Travel with it. Be drawn somewhere by it. I hope when you look at the next person you see after you’ve heard it, you see the love of God in them as well. Don’t worry if they acknowledge that Love or exercise it appropriately, just admire it like a beam of the sun through the cloud of today.
It is so sweet to feel
how in my heart,
now, gently
love is being born.
It is so sweet to understand
that I am no longer alone,
that I belong to an immense life,
which resplendently shines around me. A gift from His from His limitless love.
He gave us the sky,
and the light stars,
our brother sun
our sister moon.
Our mother earth,
with fruits, meadows and flowers,
the fire, the wind,
the air and the pure water,
source of life for His creatures.
A gift from His, from His limitless love.
A gift from His, from His limitless love.
Dolce è sentire
Come nel mio cuore
Ora umilmente
Sta nascendo amore
Dolce è capire
Che non son più solo
Ma che son parte di una immensa vita
Che generosa risplende intorno a me
Dono di Lui, del Suo immenso amore
Ci ha dato il cielo
E le chiare stelle
Fratello Sole E sorella Luna
La madre terra
Con frutti, prati e fiori
Il fuoco, il vento
L’aria e l’acqua pura
Fonte di vita per le sue creature
Dono di Lui, del Suo immenso amore
Dono di Lui, del Suo immenso amore