We are awakening to ancient wisdom that has always surrounded us. As we peel back the layers of our cultural conditioning, we discover that we have been living in the shadow of false narratives about who we are and how we relate to the world around us. We are not, as we have been told, naturally violent beings destined for conflict. Instead, we are discovering that our authentic nature resonates with peace, connection, and harmony.
In our gardens, we witness the truth of our interconnectedness. Every handful of soil we lift contains billions of living organisms, each playing its vital role in an intricate dance of life. As we work with this soil, we become aware that we too are part of this dance. We are not separate observers but integral participants in the community of creation. The vegetables we grow, the birds that visit our gardens, the invisible microorganisms beneath our feet – all are our relatives in the deepest sense.
We have inherited a worldview that artificially divides reality into separate spheres – the spiritual and the material, the sacred and the mundane. But as we spend time in nature, we begin to understand that everything is sacred, everything is spiritual. The wind in the trees speaks as clearly of divine presence as any scripture. The morning song of birds carries wisdom as profound as any sermon. We are remembering what our ancestors knew: that creation itself is our first and most faithful teacher.
Our modern emphasis on individualism has left us spiritually malnourished. We see now how this isolation springs from artificial philosophical divisions that took root centuries ago. These ideas separated mind from body, heaven from earth, humanity from nature. Yet when we sit quietly by a stream or walk through a forest, these false divisions dissolve. We feel our inherent connection to all that surrounds us. This is not mere sentiment – it is the recovery of essential truth.
In our quest for progress, we have often confused violence with strength, domination with success. Yet nature teaches us a different lesson. We observe that even predators take only what they need. The oak tree does not hoard all sunlight for itself but creates shade where other plants may grow. The soil does not clutch its nutrients but freely offers them to support new life. These are not merely poetic observations but practical wisdom for how we might live.
We are finding our way back to understanding that personal healing cannot be separated from collective healing. When we tend a garden, we heal the soil, and the soil heals us. When we protect a forest, we preserve life-giving air for all beings. When we honor water, we acknowledge the element that connects all life on Earth. Our individual wellness is inextricably linked to the wellness of the whole.
The challenge before us is to decolonize not just our minds but our spirits. We must question the stories we have been told about human nature, about progress, about what constitutes success and growth. We are remembering that true progress lies not in domination but in harmony, not in accumulation but in balanced relationship. This remembering is both personal and collective – it requires both inner work and outer action.
As we spend time in nature, we rediscover that all of creation speaks a language we once knew fluently. Each plant, each animal, each element carries wisdom we desperately need. We are not learning something new but remembering something ancient. Our task is not to conquer or control these teachings but to humble ourselves and listen again.
We see now that the path forward requires us to look backward – not to idealize the past but to recover essential wisdom about how to live in harmony with creation. This wisdom tells us that everything is connected, that all beings are worthy of respect, that balance and reciprocity are the natural order. These are not abstract principles but practical guides for rebuilding our relationship with the Earth and each other.
In our gardens, our farms, our daily interactions with the natural world, we are rediscovering what it means to be truly human. We are learning again how to listen to the land, how to work with natural cycles rather than against them, how to take only what we need and give back in equal measure. This is not a retreat from progress but an advance toward genuine wisdom.
As we embrace these understandings, we find hope not in grand technological solutions but in simple, direct experiences with the natural world. We find healing not in isolation but in community – both human and more-than-human. We find purpose not in domination but in cultivation and care. This is the ancient wisdom we need for these modern times: that all is sacred, all is connected, and our role is not to conquer but to tend and protect.
We stand now in a moment of choice. We can continue down the path of separation and exploitation, or we can choose to remember our place in the family of creation. The wisdom we need surrounds us in every tree, every bird, every handful of living soil. Our task is simply to remember, to listen, and to align our lives once again with the harmony that sustains all life.
SUMMARY
Early Christianity embraced a universal understanding that God’s love encompasses all creation, teaching that everything moves toward divine unity and wholeness through the concept of apokatastasis. This parallels indigenous wisdom traditions worldwide, which share similar concepts of harmony and balance with creation, known by various names like Ubuntu, Tikkun Olam, and Eloheh. These traditions recognize that while nature contains violence, it occurs only out of necessity, unlike human excess. The path to spiritual wholeness requires reconnecting with land and nature, challenging the destructive myths promoted by Western colonialism and empire about human nature. Research demonstrates that humans are naturally peaceful and loving, contrary to popular belief. Modern individualism stems from Platonic dualism that artificially divides reality, whereas indigenous wisdom teaches that all aspects of creation are sacred and spiritually interconnected, from rocks and trees to animals and humans. Direct experience with nature, rather than merely intellectual understanding, proves crucial for spiritual growth. The creator’s original instructions for humanity centered on harmony and balance, requiring decolonization from cultural misconceptions. This process involves understanding how personal healing serves collective healing and vice versa. Practical applications include sustainable farming, community living, and regular time spent in nature to restore spiritual connection and understanding. The billions of living organisms in healthy soil exemplify this interconnectedness, demonstrating how everything exists as part of an extended family within creation.
KEY POINTS
- Early Christianity taught that God’s love extends to the entire world without exception
- The original Christian understanding was that all beings were moving toward divine unity
- The concept of apokatastasis suggests all things move toward wholeness, healing, and restoration
- Indigenous cultures worldwide share similar concepts of harmony and balance with creation
- This universal harmony concept appears in various traditions (Ubuntu, Tikkun Olam, Eloheh, etc.)
- Violence in nature occurs only out of necessity, unlike human excess
- Connecting with land and nature is essential for spiritual wholeness
- Western colonialism and empire have promoted destructive myths about human nature
- Research shows humans are naturally peaceful and loving rather than violent
- Modern individualism stems from Platonic dualism that artificially splits reality
- All aspects of creation are sacred and spiritual, including rocks, trees, and animals
- Direct experience with nature, rather than just intellectual understanding, is crucial
- The doctrine of original sin reinforced negative views of human nature
- Healthy soil contains billions of living organisms, exemplifying interconnectedness
- Creator’s original instructions for humanity centered on harmony and balance
- Decolonization requires peeling away layers of cultural misconceptions
- Indigenous wisdom teaches that everything is interconnected as family
- Personal healing serves collective healing, and vice versa
- Sustainable farming and community living demonstrate harmony principles
- Regular time spent in nature can restore spiritual connection and understanding
