Kinship – A Reflection

Whether it was herons, pelicans, monarch butterflies, cormorants, or local cats (don’t tell Stella!) we thoroughly enjoyed a brief break from work and life to get away for two nights. We spent at least 45 minutes with this beauty last night. Denise was about 10 feet away from the heron and they were definitely connected in spirit.

Denise and I felt such a connection with these beautiful creatures. We also felt a wonderful peace as we spent time being still in God’s presence in this beautiful place.

Thomas Merton wrote the following about the kinship he felt with the creatures that he spent time with while at his hermitage.

In the afternoon, lots of pretty little myrtle warblers were playing and diving for insects in the low pine branches over my head, so close I could almost touch them. I was awed at their loveliness, their quick flight, their hissings and chirpings, the yellow spot on the back revealed in flight, etc. Sense of total kinship with them as if they and I were of the same nature, and as if that nature were nothing but love. And what else but love keeps us all together in being? — November 4, 1964 as found in A Year With Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals – Nov 5th entry)

…as if they were of the same nature, and as if that nature was nothing but love. If only that sort of kinship was felt by all of humankind. Imago Dei, created in the image of God.