Morningstar Seeking a Sacred Center

[Landscapes of the Sacred]

In Lane's section "The Golden Earth as Middle Place," he examines Native American spirituality and the reverence these people have towards the earth. After discussing the Lakota as true naturalists- lovers of nature, Lane states "one's relation to the soil, therefore, is a means of making subtle connections with the holy" (Lane, 1998). Perhaps Lane is meaning that to be intimately connected to the divine, one must gain a relatedness to the soil they are upon. Since the Creator of the World, beautifully and wonderfully made even aspect of this natural world, to have an experience with the holy is to dive your hands into the land He created.

If one has ever dug there hands into soil before, they would understand the profound mystery and joy found in holding that pile of dirt. A calming and soothing experience occurs as an individual is acquainted with the rawness of the holy. Lane makes the proposition that we should learn from the Native Americans and acquire their reverence and ability to listen to the nature around us to make connections with the holy.
Reference: Lane, B.C. (1998). Landscapes of the Sacred: Geography and Narrative in American Spirituality. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

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