(45) Peace & Place

"We need to live at peace with the natural world around us,
and also with other men and women, our neighbors. If we
fail to do so, our temporal well-being and even our survival
will be at risk."
[Christopher Derrick, THE RULE OF PEACE: ST. BENEDICT
AND THE EUROPEAN FUTURE. St. Bede's Publication, 1980,
pp. 97-98.]

Comment: From the cited book, I cannot discover exactly who
Christopher Derrick is or was. In the Preface there is mention
that this book was "originally written for the Association of St.
Benedict, Patron of Europe." Also there's mention that people
outside of Europe need not be excluded, in that the boundaries
of the Benedictine Tradition really do not exist.

Reading through Derrick's book, it becomes obvious that he is
quite miffed by our modern technological civilization and would
love to harken back to a more ideal time. Won't happen of
course!

But I certainly can understand his concern--especially recently
when I had occasion for a stay-over at a "casino hotel" in Nevada.
It was the only lodging in the middle of a desert. Night came on
quickly, and I had little choice. I don't gamble, so this occasion
was an eye-opener. The place seemed like chaos, machines
clanging, lounge singers moaning, glasses clicking everywhere.
The place was loaded with all sorts of people, talking, gambling,
drinking. The servers were obviously exhausted, thus rude.
It all seemed rather uncivilized to me. Thus I quickly retired to
my room, watched the TV weather, and went to bed early. I
left early, too! Glad to be rid of the place.

However, this experience illustrated how really important it is
to gather peace within yourself and all around you. It can be
tough to do some times, but it's well worth being able to do this.
I suppose "peace" can be likened--scientifically speaking--to
making Order out of Chaos.

On this trip I was returning from a remote canyon in Arizona,
a place of vast red-rock mountains, millions upon millions of
years in the making. Quiet, at peace in that place, I felt myself
surrounded by God's very own ancient temples. Within, there
was also a Indian ruin where the Sinaqua People once lived.
Sometimes they are called the Western Anasazi. These people
honored the Earth and the Spirit.

Standing in the midst of this great canyon, I realized where these
ancient People were coming from. Maybe not high-tech folk,
having never lived in great urban conclaves, they were most
fortunate to live right there in the very center of these great
and beautiful mountains--of many shapes, looking truly like
glorious temples with a lovely river running through. Swaying
cottonwoods along the river lent to the peace that permeated
this place. I really felt a love, felt myself standing in the midst
of God's Garden of Temples.

So, what a contrast--after this--having to spend a night of
casino chaos, if you will.

Yet, I had the good sense to withdraw from the chaos, even
if it meant clearing my mind with the weather report. Looking
at the weather map, I kept looking to the place where my
red-rock canyon was--and, lo, there was a word placed over
it: Sunshine! That charged me, and I felt better. It was a place
of Life and Light, quiet, enormously peaceful, presenting its
beauty and power.