Reflections . . . Photo: Stuart Yates
Arctic reflections
'Arctic reflections' by Stuart Yates
Svalbard: one of the world’s last wildernesses, soon to be despoiled by humankind’s lust for material comfort. A land of exquisitely delicate flowers, which is still slowly rebounding from the last ice age, where animals have no fear of humans. The vast bulk of the glaciers, deep silence, expansive skies, seemingly endless ice and the clarity of the air all connect with the experience of a gathered Quaker Meeting for Worship: the experience of touching the pure, universal and ageless immensity of God’s creation, enveloping and supporting us. It is a rare place which humans do not dominate, where we are required to respect nature, where we are just dots on the landscape. It is a still place for being, for receiving God’s blessings in humility and gratitude.
