Every Common Bush Afire with God

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

This is the season when nature paints its trees with vibrant color. And it seems that every common bush really is on fire with God. The poet described it well. She also described humankind well, portraying us as persons who hardly take notice of the beauty around us in the autumn season.

This year, I want to notice. I want to take in the brilliance as if it were the last autumn I will ever experience. I want to see the vivid color and feel the crunch of the leaves beneath my feet. I want to smell the chill in the air, and marvel at the blue in the sky. I want to watch the leaves fall, blown about by a soft wind. I want to see the God in every bush.

And I want to make sure that my shoes are off in homage to the sacred beauty of God’s world.

I don’t need to spend any time plucking blackberries.