I live in the center of Yokohama, Japan, a city of 3.8 million. I am surrounded by concrete and tall buildings. I see little natural greenery.
But on a window shelf in the sun, I have a container in which I sow seeds. To see the green shoots come up out of the soil touches me. I feel joy, hope, wonder!
God makes things grow. This has a beautiful influence on my prayer.
Over the years I have shared praying with people from many nations. One Sister from Papua, New Guinea, summed up in her concrete way what many told me. “We pray better after feeling the soil between our toes.” Have we in the West lost that earthly touch that so helps prayer?
The connection between nature and contact with God is deep within the genes of our Japanese people.
Here is a modern hymn that is the most popular in our liturgy. Even in Covid times, it was sung with vigor behind masks!
Below is my translation of our hymn. Notice how the first line of the hymn puts the Gospel scene into a context of nature. This hymn has an ecumenical background: the words were written by Protestant Pastor Beppu, and the melody by a Catholic musician, Mr. Takita.
Prayer and God’s created nature are connected. Let’s join the two!
Try it. It works!
Columban Fr. Barry Cairns lives and works in Japan.