Rev. Shawn J. Smith

It may seem strange to say that there is quiet and peace to be found in a city. Most of the time when we think of cities we are filled with images of clubs that stay open late, cabs and other cars honking, delivery trucks arriving at all hours, but in the midst of all this I have found that there is calm to be found. In fact I believe that on can find peace that is on par with being in the midst of nature. The primary reason is that there is just as much beauty to beholdwhen we are surrounded by humanity as there is when you stand on top of a mountainor open field by a stream. The best time to experience this peace in the city, as I have found, is by foot in the early hours of the day, or when the rain is coming down. For many rain is a deterrent, but given that I am originally from Seattle I stand with all my NW folks that call rain liquid sunshine. Let’s face it, if people in Seattle waited for the sun to come out and the rain to stop falling then nothing would ever get done. OK, I am getting off topic. The point is that there is a rich experience awaiting anyone who is willing to step out into the streets, slow down, look, listen and be still amidst those who race around to the next task. When we do this we begin to see just how crazy small our worlds have become if we let our e-mails, text messages, and calendars run our life. We all have to earn money so we have to do some of that, but we would feel more balanced if we took more time to allow for perspective to unsettle our routines. When we start to do this we become available to see and hear things that we were once too easy to miss. Oh, one last recommendation on this one. If you walk, leave the ipod or smartphone off. Happy Trails!