By Kevin Goertzen

What comes to mind when you think of the wilderness?  Maybe you think of barrenness: like the children of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.  For some, it might be testing: like Jesus being tempted in the wilderness for 40 days.  And for others, it could be beauty, adventure, danger, or something else.  And for each of these there are Biblical texts that would be relevant, for wilderness is both an important place and an important metaphor throughout the Bible.

For me, the wilderness has always been a place of adventure, beauty, and awe… a place where I experience God’s presence.  As the Psalmist relates so beautifully, the night sky (and for me, the wilderness in lots of ways) is a way of putting things back in perspective.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?  (Psalm 8:3-4)

What happens in you when you look at the night sky?  What do you experience when you find yourself deep in the forest, totally away from “civilization”?  Are there certain feelings that emerge or questions that arise when you experience the majesty, beauty, and mystery of God’s creation?

There is something about taking time to pay attention to the world around us that is good for the soul at a deep level.  “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters; He restores my soul” (Psm. 23:2-3a).  I don’t think it is a coincidence that these three phrases are linked in Psalm 23.  I believe that often it is through the green pastures and the still waters that God does the work of restoring our souls.  And it doesn’t have to be deep in the wilderness.  It can be a garden, a city park, or under the tree in your backyard.  The majesty of God’s world can move you any time you slow down long enough to notice.  But you will not be moved unless you take the time to pay attention.

And taking time to have our souls restored in creation is not a form of escaping the world.  It’s not running away from all the trouble so we can feel good feelings while the world burns… at least it shouldn’t be.  Instead, being present in creation is a way to restore our souls and renew our strength so that we can step back into the fray with enough strength to make a difference.  It is another example of “Spiritual Formation for Kingdom Action.”

The Corhaven Retreat Center provides a wonderful place to experience a small dose of the majesty and mystery of creation.  With a stream gurgling through the forest at the back of Corhaven’s 17 acres, it is like a little piece of wilderness that is easily accessible.

And if you’re ready to try a fuller experience of creation, consider joining me on an upcoming backpacking retreat.  On May 8th-11th I will be leading an open backpacking trip for men to explore the wilderness and also a pastor’s backpacking trip on May 18th-21st. We will be traveling to the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia, about two hours from Corhaven. These trips will be opportunities for us as men to renew our strength, recalibrate our direction, and share together about the deep stuff of our lives.  I would love to have you join me.  (I am also open to helping facilitate a trip for women, so please let me know if that is of interest to you.)

But whether you venture deep into a wilderness area or simply find a dark place to stare at the night sky, I pray that you will make time to be renewed and restored through the majesty and the mystery of the wilderness.