Forest For Rest

As it was a glorious day (and we don't get too many of those here in Ireland!) I thought I'd go for a walk in Cairn Wood, which is half way between Bangor and the Craigantlet hills if you take the back roads. As it was 11.30am there weren't too many people around so I was able to walk along some of its designated paths in absolute silence. Bliss! I took my mobile along with me, and whilst I couldn't get a signal I was still able to use the camera, and so I took around 20 or 30 pictures.

I was just blown away by the beauty of the place. I walked among the trees aware of Nature and my place within it. I felt like a little cog, but a little cog in the huge, enormous, beautiful machine that is our planet.

On the way in there was a noticeboard that gave some general info about the area and the walks around the Wood. After skimming down the blurb my eye caught a tag-line from the Forestry Commission. It read, "Kill only time, leave only footprints, and take away only memories".

It was so simple, and yet so beautiful. And it reminded me that life is so simple and so beautiful. Yes it can be complicated, and yes it can be dark and distressing, but yes it is simple and beautiful. Only we make it unnecessarily complicated. And at that moment I was drawn to the Bible, and to a passage in Micah:

"He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? "

I only hope that I can do that. Forget doctrines and creeds. Forget theology in all its convoluted forms. Forget religion and denominations. Faith can be simple and Faith can be beautiful. ANd so can we. Amen.