Rev. Brad Sheppard – Click for PDF

“We live in all we seek.  The hidden shows up in too-plain sight.  It lives captive on the face of the obvious—the people, events, and things of the day—to which we as sophisticated children have long since become oblivious.  What a hideout: Holiness lies spread and borne over the surface of time and stuff like color.”

Annie Dillard, For the Time Being

I first read Annie Dillard as a young adult and during my early years of ministry.  I found her way of seeing the world and expressing it in such eloquent language simultaneously inspiring, challenging and sometimes confusing.  Yet, she always had me wanting to turn the page, to read more.  She passed away recently at the age of 81.  So I found myself returning to her writings particularly her book For the Time Being quoted above.  I would definitely recommend all of her books, especially Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, which won her the Pulitzer Prize.

Dillard helped me to see the significance of seeing the world in both its ordinariness and extraordinariness.  Too often we rush by the ordinary things and happenings of our lives and miss so much.  As Dillard says, holiness can be so obviously before us and yet we still overlook it.

Dillard calls our attention to seeing the holy even in the colors of the world.  Autumn is a good time to do just that!  Notice the trees.  Really notice the trees.  How some burst into flames of vibrant red seemingly overnight.  Others subtly transform to muted yellows a little here and then a little there.  Even a fallen leaf can glow with wonder on the sidewalk under our feet or in the fading green grass in our yard.  Pay attention.  Color is all around.  It is the shimmering of the holy.

It is easy to think God only shows up in spectacular ways.  But the reality tells us otherwise.  God is a bit sly at times in just being present in the humdrum of the every day.  This then requires us to look at the world, particularly our little everyday worlds, much differently.  We must be curious and diligent in our seeking how God is showing up.  The holiness is there, really there; we only need to notice.

So get outside or sit by a window or look deeply into your own life.  You are sure to find the holy.