The unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates)
Were Socrates alive in the 21st century, where we can fill our lives with so much noise and so many distractions, I rather suspect that he would encourage us to get back to nature. The older I get, the more I realise the importance of nature for our emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. Nature helps to slow us down, whether it be the vast countryside or our own little patch of garden or even a window box. Nature gives us space and opportunity to reflect, and we can begin to see little parables which enable us to better understand God and our own spiritual life. For example, earlier this week I was walking on Bleaklow and was reminded of when I walked the Camino de Santiago several years ago. This week, like then, I began to struggle; I was getting acute pains in the balls of my feet and blisters began to form. To try and avoid these sharp pains, I began to limp, to put the pressure on other areas of my feet. But, of course, we are designed to w...