Faith Viewpoint: Inspiration in big things and in small

My viewpoint is that of a visitor to the South Lakes - a visitor willingly drawn by family and friends.

In addition to familial comfort, on my infrequent visits I harbour the hope of finding connection to the other and of escaping from the day-to-day.
 

I look for inspiration in big things and in small. I don’t have to look far.

The landscape, the scenery, the hills, the lakes, the sky, the stars; the big and the timeless inspire awe and take me out of myself.

How wonderful to live here, where it is still possible to see the horizon and spaces uninterrupted by man and industry.

Who could fail to be moved amid all this? 

Being among such beauty induces in me a feeling of insignificance and helps put my problems into perspective.

This lightness of spirit and the mental space it creates edges me closer to thoughts of the divine, of the infinite.

I look closely at buds, leaves, raindrops, spider webs, pebbles and moss and find perfection revealed here too, in the minutiae of the interconnected systems that sustain us - the precious software we rely on for life.

I could easily observe these in my home city, of course, but my sense of wonder is more frequently peaked when taking time away.

I am not alone, I’m sure, in experiencing spiritual inspiration here.

Small wonder then that so many visitors return year after year, and that some choose to make a home here.

Jo Sparling, visiting from Chicago.

If you would like to share an insight about how your faith impacts your view of things, please contact: faithviewpoint@gmail.com.