God and Nature Fall 2019
Theological Photoessay
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By Thomas Jay Oord
I hiked out to wild horses in the Owyhees one afternoon. After trotting away at first, they turned and tried their usual tactic: charging to intimidate me. I stood my ground and made this photo.
[Ed. note - Tom posted this photo on a facebook post, and I thought it deserved to be seen by ASA members, so here it is.]
[Ed. note - Tom posted this photo on a facebook post, and I thought it deserved to be seen by ASA members, so here it is.]
I consider this my private wild meadow.
To get to it, I drive 50+ miles on a gravel road into the Owyhee Mountains of Idaho. A sign at the road’s start says “Travel at Your Own Risk: Rescue Costs Will Be Billed to Those Rescued.” I don’t see many people on this road.
My private meadow is about a half-mile long. I’ve never seen another person there. I’ve never seen human footprints. It’s so remote I doubt I ever will see another human there. It’s just me.
In addition to the beautiful flowers, I like the solitude in my meadow. It feels good to be alone sometimes. After only a few minutes, my thoughts move from thinking anyone is around. I’m alone to ponder and meditate in peace.
In my private meadow, I feel especially vulnerable. I’m stripped of distractions, other than the ones I start to let go in my mind. And I feel especially close to God.
I wish everyone had their own private wild meadow.
This spot has no official name. It’s part of what locals call “Sheep Creek.” The creek has carved this canyon over the millennia. And I now hike out to particular spots that offer interesting photo opportunities. This spot fits that bill.
To make a photo like the one above, I set my tripod along an edge and lean my camera out a bit. The distorted depth of field can make me dizzy. I try not to lean too far, but getting a good image is important to me.
I’ve often thought about how spiritual encounters often occur on high places. Countless stories in the Christian tradition and beyond tell of pilgrims who have visions on mountaintops. I wonder, though, if many pilgrims have visions when leaning out too far. Is there some relationship between dizziness and spiritual ecstasy? Is vertigo a spiritual help or hindrance?
Pronghorn are the fastest land animals in the western hemisphere. They can run! Pronghorn are often mistakenly called “antelope,” but they’re not related to the Africa antelope. And they’ve been on the American continent for about 1 million years.
I scared up this Pronghorn herd – I counted more than 80 total – last winter hiking in Idaho. They ran single file and did a half circle around me. It was spectacular!
In the spring, the herds disperse. And by summer, I often scare up Pronghorn does and fawns as a pair. The fawns are fast from birth! But they don’t always run in the direction their mother wants. Last summer I scared up a pair, and the doe was less about leading its fawn and more about trying to stay with it. It’s like episodes of my own parenting! That whole “train up a child” should be augmented with “and sometimes the child will train you!”
Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Oord is an award-winning author, having written or edited more than twenty books. Oord is also an accomplished photographer and gifted speaker. He is known for contributions to research on love, open and relational theology, science and religion, and the implications of freedom and relationships for transformation.