Apr 21: 🙏🏼 Nature is My Church

And other John Muir sayings about finding the Divine in wild places.

The Spiritual Almanac is a weekly, free email newsletter based on the calendar that explores spiritual practices and mindfulness for modern living.

John Muir photograph, Library of Congress, 1902

Apr 21: John Muir Day: The Father of National Parks

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. —John Muir

I adore National Parks. Traveling in an RV for three years to visit as many parks as possible was a highlight of my life. I love the natural beauty and the sense of peace and freedom of being surrounded by nature.

When John Muir was a young boy, he loved to explore the fields and woods around his home in Scotland. He often felt a deep connection with nature and found solace in its beauty.

He was fond of all wild things to “hear the birds sing, and along the seashore to gaze and wonder at the shells and seaweeds, eels and crabs in the pools among the rocks when the tide was low; and best of all to watch the waves in awful storms thundering on the black headlands and craggy ruins of the old Dunbar Castle when the sea and the sky, the waves and the clouds, were mingled together as one.”

John’s love for the wild was unyielding despite his father’s disapproval and warnings to confine his explorations to the backyard and garden. His spirit, infused with the untamed beauty of nature, was unstoppable, even in the face of harsh punishments.

As he and his brother sat near the fire with their grandfather, his father announced they were going to America. The 11-year-old spends hours exploring the Wisconsin woods, studying wildflowers, ferns, birds, and animals with rapt fascination. He loved climbing the towering trees and running free through the sprawling natural scenery.

But as the years passed, his passion for discovery and adventure grew stronger. He spent countless hours reading books on natural history and studying maps of far-off lands with the dream of one day exploring them himself.

His dreams became reality when he embarked on a thousand-mile walk from Indiana to Florida in 1867 at the age of twenty-nine. His final destination was Cuba, a turning point in his life marking the beginning of his career as a naturalist and conservationist.

He then traveled to Yosemite Valley to explore the famed Sierra Nevada mountains. This trip would forever change his perspective on nature and the importance of preserving it.

As he hiked through the rugged landscape, the diversity of plants and animals captivated him. He marveled at the delicate wildflowers carpeting the forest floor, the towering ferns that seemed to reach for the sky, and the birds’ songs echoing through the trees.

But he also witnessed firsthand how human activity was taking a toll on this pristine environment. The once-thriving forests were being cut down, and animal populations were dwindling, such as beavers, bears, and mountain lions because of hunting and development.

This experience ignited a fire within him to protect these precious natural resources. He began advocating for conservation efforts and became one of the leading voices in the movement to preserve America’s wild places, becoming the “Father of National Parks.”

In 1890, an act of Congress created Yosemite National Park because of Muir’s efforts. He also created Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks.

So, in honor of John Muir’s Day, here are some of his famous sayings, coupled with my photographs of National Parks taken during my RV travels.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, by Mary Tase

I know that our bodies were made to thrive only in pure air, and the scenes in which pure air is found.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, by Mary Tase

How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has this glorious starry firmament for a roof! In such places standing alone on the mountain-top it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make - leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone - we all dwell in a house of one room - the world with the firmament for its roof - and are sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track.

Mesa Verde National Park with Ranger, Colorado, by Mary Tase

Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.

Arches National Park, Utah, by Mary Tase

Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another.

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas, by Mary Tase

This Week’s Inspiration: Take a Walk in Your Neighborhood

Walk in your neighborhood today and see what hidden gems you can find. John Muir believed that nature was essential for the human spirit, and by connecting with it, we can find inner harmony.

As you walk, notice the trees swaying in the breeze, the flowers blooming in vibrant colors, and the birds singing their songs. Take a deep breath and let yourself be fully present in the moment. As Muir said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

He also said we need beauty, places to play, and places to pray, where nature can heal and strengthen the body and soul, thereby making nature his church.

Where do you find solace that heals and strengthens your body and soul? Please share in the comments.

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. —John Muir

Ocotillo plant by Mary Tase, Big Bend National Park