Comments on: Angels, Ecology, & Virtual Reality http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/ Spirituality and Theology Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:21:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Fran http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Fran Thu, 25 Aug 2005 02:54:25 +0000 http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/#comment-58 I definitely believe in the power of place and your essay raises many questions. I've written about power of place a few times. I live in a wonderful townhome in Redondo Beach which I tripped across synchronistically after my divorce 20 years ago. I wanted the place to ultimately be a spiritual b&b and have conducted journal groups here for many years. It has such a peaceful quality in my home and I was later told by a neighbor that the piece of property had formerly been a Seventh Day Adventist Church. Spiritual work had been done in the recent past on the land. I have been extremely drawn to a few places at various times in my life--Mammoth before it became a major tourist attraction--and currently Idyllwild, still a sleepy little mountain town. A good Jesuit doesn't believe in reincarnation, but it does sometimes make me wonder. I definitely believe in the power of place and your essay raises many questions. I’ve written about power of place a few times. I live in a wonderful townhome in Redondo Beach which I tripped across synchronistically after my divorce 20 years ago. I wanted the place to ultimately be a spiritual b&b and have conducted journal groups here for many years. It has such a peaceful quality in my home and I was later told by a neighbor that the piece of property had formerly been a Seventh Day Adventist Church. Spiritual work had been done in the recent past on the land.

I have been extremely drawn to a few places at various times in my life–Mammoth before it became a major tourist attraction–and currently Idyllwild, still a sleepy little mountain town. A good Jesuit doesn’t believe in reincarnation, but it does sometimes make me wonder.

]]> By: Steve Bogner http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Steve Bogner Wed, 24 Aug 2005 10:43:29 +0000 http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/#comment-57 I grew up on a 1,200 acre farm in Kansas. We worked the land, raised cattle and pigs, hunted the woods and fished the creeks & ponds. We cut evergreen trees from the field and drug them to the house where we put them up as Christmas trees. Various natural springs watered the cows and the wildlife. Most of my childhood was spent outdoors, working the land and being in that environment, and that created many 'senses of place'; special moments of awareness. There *is* significant significance in our affection for the world and our place in it, in my opinion, because it is all a gift from God to us. Maybe our realization of the divine origin of this gift is the base of this affection? Maybe it's a product of our self-awareness in the grand scheme of things - the interweaving of place and time, and our relation to it? Should we let this guide us? With discernment, yes. But maybe it tells us not so much about where to go and what to do, as it tells us about who we are? All this makes me want to re-read my book on Teilhard de Chardin.... I grew up on a 1,200 acre farm in Kansas. We worked the land, raised cattle and pigs, hunted the woods and fished the creeks & ponds. We cut evergreen trees from the field and drug them to the house where we put them up as Christmas trees. Various natural springs watered the cows and the wildlife. Most of my childhood was spent outdoors, working the land and being in that environment, and that created many ‘senses of place’; special moments of awareness.

There *is* significant significance in our affection for the world and our place in it, in my opinion, because it is all a gift from God to us. Maybe our realization of the divine origin of this gift is the base of this affection? Maybe it’s a product of our self-awareness in the grand scheme of things – the interweaving of place and time, and our relation to it?

Should we let this guide us? With discernment, yes. But maybe it tells us not so much about where to go and what to do, as it tells us about who we are?

All this makes me want to re-read my book on Teilhard de Chardin….

]]> By: Crystal http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Crystal Tue, 23 Aug 2005 19:19:31 +0000 http://rmarsh.com/2005/08/23/angels-ecology-virtual-reality/#comment-56 I don't know if it's a kind of premordial subconscious recognition of something significant ... part of being a creature of the earth ... or if there's a spiritual component, or if it's just a construct of our personality, but it does seem like certain places touch us more than others. When I have those feelings, there always seems to an element of sadness, don't know why. I don’t know if it’s a kind of premordial subconscious recognition of something significant … part of being a creature of the earth … or if there’s a spiritual component, or if it’s just a construct of our personality, but it does seem like certain places touch us more than others. When I have those feelings, there always seems to an element of sadness, don’t know why.

]]>