Man's heart away from nature becomes hard
Reflection by Patrick Watters
Man’s heart away from nature becomes hard.
— Luther Standing Bear, a Sicangu and Oglala Lakota elder, author, educator, philosopher, and actor.
I am Irish and Lakota, descended from people who have always lived close to the land. My father taught me much about the outdoor world; camping, hunting, fishing, scouting. It is an approach to life that I have carried with me into my adulthood and career.
Monks and holy guides of many different faiths agree that each person has their own “grace.” As Thomas Merton wrote, “And each way is a grace, a special way is a special grace.” [1]
I have had a primary special grace since childhood, yet it has been in my 8th decade on the planet that it has become clear… to sit quietly in nature and observe, attune to my own breathing in sync with the universe and its inhabitants. No expectations nor judgment, just watching and listening as moments pass by.
I have chosen a path (my wife too) that respects and cares for the Earth and all its inhabitants, including people of course. We have intentionally chosen a simple life that includes giving much away, (another aspect of Lakota culture is “the give away.”) We have adopted that into our urban life. We also share a heart knowledge that the world is broken and that many humans experience brokenness which often leads to destructive behaviors.
In this season of my life, being ever close to nature continues as I teach my grandchildren and their classmates, volunteering at school for classroom lessons and field trips.
It is a good life among all my relatives, walking in harmony.
Patrick Watters
I am a retired Environmental Land Use Planner. My long career started as a wildlife biologist and park ranger. I am husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to many younger people. In this “golden season” I describe myself as an ecotheologian. My spiritual “tag” is “anonemoose monk.” }:- a.m.
Luther Standing Bear was a cousin of mine who lived on the Pine Ridge rez in South Dakota. I have researched and read much about my Lakota heritage through my great grandmother Isabel Maricotte (Lakota/French) “Bear Woman” of the Sicangu (Brûlée or Burnt Thigh).
What’s Your Story?
Patrick Watters brings in his ancestors’ way of being and his father’s teachings as he reflects on his cousin Luther Standing Bear’s words, "Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.” He couples the quote with the insights of monks and other holy guides that “each way is a grace, a special way is a special grace.” In his reflection, Watters shows how he has incorporated the wisdom of his traditions and these quotes throughout his work and life.
"Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.” What do Luther Standing Bear’s words mean to you? How do Thomas Merton’s words, “each way is a grace, a special way is a special grace,” speak to you? Do you have a different quote that guides you?
Consider writing a short reflection on Luther Standing Bear’s quote or another wisdom saying. Each reflection helps to give us guidance as we work to build bridges across our divides.
We will post your story here on this Substack and the Building Bridges Word by Word website. To get started, check out the guideline and next steps in the button below.
[1] The Redwoods Conferences & Letters: Thomas Merton in California, edited and introduced by David M. Odorisio. (Collegesville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2024), 202.
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Very moved by this. "Man's heart away from nature becomes hard” jumped out to me as part of the challenge of getting folks to begin to try to understand our ecological problems. A series of articles in our local paper told of a young man in Africa who noticed shoreline changes in his fishing village that led him to pursue a degree and begin climate work. Thank you.