We have traced the four corners of the Mayan altar, from east to west, from north to south. Now we focus our attention on the fifth direction: the center. Two candles sit on a bed of fresh pine needles. The green candle represents the Earth; the blue candle represents Heaven. This is the point where the paths from east to west and north to south meet. The center of our altar is the place where we put our deepest longing for harmony. God, who is both Spirit of Heaven and Spirit of Earth, desires that we treat each other and all creation with reverence, respect and love. We create heaven on Earth when we live in harmony with each other, with Creation and with God--when we live "with one, equal heart."

Wisdom and the Word:

 

 

In the Pop Wuj, the sacred book of the Maya, God is both Father and Mother: "madre y padre de la existencia, de la humanidad" (mother and father of existence, of humanity). Pop Wuj: Book of Time (Mythic-historic Poem of the Ki'-ché, translated from the original text by Adrián I. Chávez), Biblioteca de Cultura Popular, Ediciones del Sol, © 1994, p. 32. For the Tseltal Maya, the Earth is not an object to be exploited; rather she is our Mother, who gives us life and sustenance. "Even when she is cultivated, she is mistreated, which supposes a rupture in harmony with her, so one must ask her pardon and offer her gifts." Harmony by Dr. Eugenio Maurer Ávalos, SJ, p. 3.

 

"God said, 'Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.'" Exodus 3:5.

 

Poetry for Meditation:

 

 

My bare feet walk the earth reverently/for everything keeps crying,/Take off your shoes/The ground you stand on is holy/The ground of your being is holy.

 

When the wind sings through the pines/like a breath of God/awakening you to the sacred present/calling your soul to new insights/Take off your shoes!

When the sun rises above your rooftop/coloring your world with dawn/Be receptive to this awesome beauty/Put on your garment of adoration/Take off your shoes!

When sorrow presses close to your heart/begging you to put your trust in God alone/filling you with a quiet knowing/that God's hand is not too short to heal you/Take off your shoes!

When a new person comes into your life/like a mystery about to unfold/and your find yourself marveling over/the frailty and splendor of every human being/Take off your shoes!

When, during the wee hours of the night/you drive slowly into the new day/and the morning's fog, like angel wings/hovers mysteriously above you/Take off your shoes!

Take off your shoes of distraction/Take off your shoes of ignorance and blindness/Take off your shoes of hurry and worry/Take off anything that prevents you/from being a child of wonder.

Take off your shoes;/The ground you stand on is holy./The ground you are is holy.

Excerpt from Macrina Wiederkehr's Child of Wonder, Seasons of Your Heart, ©1991, pp. 5-6.

Contemporary Reality:

 

 

On our recent visit to Chiapas, we visited the village of Sitim and a group of Caretakers of the Earth who were there to discuss their work of sharing and teaching sustainable and organic agricultural practices to their communities. 

 

Pablo, one of the Caretakers, told us that many Tseltal subsistence farmers grapple with a pest called "la gallina ciega" or "the blind hen."  This beetle begins as a pupa, underground, where it develops to its larva stage and begins to feed on roots and organic material. The larva's appetite is voracious; it can destroy a cornstalk by eating the root system. An entire cornfield may appear to be healthy until a strong wind blows and flattens the rootless stalks to the ground. By the time the adult beetle emerges from the soil, the damage has been done.

Many farmers have tried pesticides to kill "la gallina ciega," but the chemicals poison the land and eventually create resistant beetles. The Caretakers of the Earth learned that the larva of the beetle prefers to eat dead, composted material. They thought and reflected about what this might mean and came to realize that the beetle was a messenger, alerting them that they are not caring for the Earth. Rather than kill the beetle, they need to amend the soil with compost so the beetles would have plenty to eat and leave their corn to grow tall and strong. 

Questions for Reflection:

 

 

How might I open my eyes to the messengers around me who alert us that we are neglecting the Earth?

 

How might I cultivate reverence for all of Creation?

 

What step can I take to honor all living things, my sisters and brothers, and even myself as holy ground?

 

Prayer:

Mother-Father-God you know the depths of my heart. Ground me in your loving embrace. Help me to connect with all Creation, to remember that I must walk gently, in harmony with the Earth, humanity and all things.