by Peter Boogaart, Caring for Creation Coordinator
The postmodern notion that reality is only a construct—that we are what we program—suggests limitless human possibilities; but as the young spend less and less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically, and this reduces the richness of the human experience.”
-Richard Louv: Last Child In The Woods
It always amazes me to hear this, but we now spend 90% of our time indoors. Here at the far end of the radio-television-computer-smart phone continuum life has a different pattern. There’s been a change in our social DNA and we don’t necessarily even want the same things anymore. Louv quotes a young child who when asked why he played indoors replied, “Because that’s where the electrical outlets are.”
If you grant me the premise that there’s been a change, then the question becomes whether or not it’s a problem. Have we lost anything valuable in the process? You needn’t read very far in Louv’s book to understand that he replies with a resounding “yes.” We are losing our capacity for being fully human; to be our natural selves. Louv doesn’t say it, but “human” is a word-play derived from humus, the stuff of the earth. Scripture defines us as having been made from the dust of the earth. The ground of our being is quite literally ground.
Excessive indoor time cuts us off from our deepest component of identity. In a sense, we’re living in a world of our own creation as opposed to the world as created by God. There are Biblical reverberations here. Remember the Tower of Babel? Here’s a story of human engineering and building on a grand scale, achievement that reaches into the heavens. The final product, however, is division and dissolution.
Louv and others point out that healthy spiritual formation requires contact with nature—outdoor time. This isn’t to discount the achievements of science or the importance of manufacturing. We are still that part of creation with whom God walked in the garden; we have capacity for creativity too. But living in an electronic, isolated environment will not connect us with that which we most need: knowledge of our place and the joy of being well fitted.
The Caring for Creation ministry is placing an emphasis this year on outdoor time. Specifically, we’re recommending that you connect with Ottawa County Parks. There are thirty-eight parks/natural areas waiting for your exploration. Take up our Parks Challenge. You’ll find information about it here. The annual Wildflower Walk is scheduled for Sunday, May 5 at Tunnel Park. A park staffer will walk us through the beauty spots that most beach lovers miss.
And speaking of electronics, drop off your defunct equipment at our e-waste recycling event on Saturday, May 18. We are partnering with the Holland Board of Public Works. HBPW will be collecting refrigerators, dehumidifiers, freezers, and air conditioners. The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the HBPW parking lot at 625 Hastings Ave.