Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Concrete, concrete everywhere...

One of the things that I have had the hardest time getting used to with regards to living in Toronto is the vast amount of concrete everywhere I look. Yes there are trees and parks, and some of them are quite lovely, but always there in the corner of my eye or above the treetops is more concrete or brick. There are only 2 places in the city where I can forget that the concrete jungle exists. The first is called the Beaches - a beautiful park on the shore of Lake Ontario - but since it takes about 45 minutes to get there I don't get to see it very often. The second place, on the other hand, is on my way to work. For a few seconds every day as I walk from the subway station to the office, I can look to my left and see this:



No concrete anywhere within sight, and it always smells how a field is supposed to smell - in summer there are wildflowers that bloom along the sidewalk, in fall there is the smell of decaying leaves, in winter the crisp smell of snow, and in spring the smell of wet earth. So for a few seconds each day I can forget that I live in the city and feel refreshed by this little bit of greenness.

Then I blink, and look to my right and see this:



And I am swiftly transported back to reality. But those few moments do wonders for my nature-starved soul!

2 comments:

Mitchell DeWare said...

I think someday I am going to write a book of spiritual theology on creation. Some of my scattered thoughts include:

(1) creation as proclaiming the glory of God
(2) the ablility to hear the divine in the outdoors
(3) why camp ministry works :)
(4) the biblical narrative and the transition from garden to city (Genesis, Revelation)

You and TC can proof and critique it before it is published.

Sarah C said...

Sounds good, Mitch. I don't know its exact nature, but I know beyond a doubt that there is a fundamental connection between the human spirit and the natural world, so it would definitely be an interesting read!