Tracking God Across Our Lives

Our ancestors, who sustained themselves through hunting, often depended upon those in their communities who had a special gift for discovering and following the tracks of the prey which they hunted. These trackers had highly developed senses, and well-honed skills for discerning the slightest signs – a bent stalk of grass, a small stone dislodged, a partial print in some soft earth among rocks, a hair caught in the bark of a tree where their prey had passed. They were frequently responsible for the success of the hunt, and the feeding of the people. Is it possible to track God? What are the signs to be attentive to?

In a world which we experience as defined by death, and many times marked by suffering and sorrow, there are surprises hidden in plain sight: moments of wonder and joy, unexpected gifts of kindness and true concern, a deep level of peace and serenity that comes from acceptance of reality in the face of the agitation and frenzy of so much of our lives. Are we sensitive to these signs of goodness and graciousness?

What we may notice, before anything else, is beauty. We are surrounded by nature that displays its works of art in both grand, majestic scale and in tiny, intricate detail. And there are those among us who are particularly gifted to channel this beauty through works of sight and sound and smell and taste and touch. Did this all not begin with the divine Artist?

Many people, outstanding in our history as a people on this planet, have chosen the narrower way of courageous integrity – true to themselves, their relationships, their values, their commitments. There are so many seductions that  whisper around us to give up, to betray, to compromise, to settle for less than what we are made for. If some things are right and true, does this not point toward One who is completely True?

Then there is the underlying unity and coherence behind the unfolding of creation. How inexplicably amazing is the coming together of innumerable elements to form complex beings, and to engender life in all its various forms! We humans have this innate sense that we are meant to gather, and to all work toward common, good goals and objectives. This asks for, and leads to, communion. Is not God behind this?

It seems to me that the greatest, and rarest, of the signs around and in us is love. Love is what we are made for, yet it requires that we grow beyond selfishness to fully live in love. We need to put aside ego to give ourselves freely, completely, with no conditions, no expectations, no self-referencing. Love is among us. And it flows from absolute love. 

Perhaps we have gotten off track. Perhaps we have convinced ourselves that this hunting is a thing of the past, unnecessary, something we’ve outgrown through our sophistication and science. The signs are still all around us – goodness, graciousness, joy, peace, unity, truth, integrity, wonder, beauty, love. We need to relearn how to read them. It takes practice, and its worth it.