Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream…

I awoke at 2 am to the sharp tattoo of heavy rain on the metal bunkroom roof. I lay in my sleeping bag thinking ahead to the hike out later that morning, reflecting as I drifted back to sleep, “It’s going to be a wet one.”

We were in New Zealand, hiking the four-day Milford Track, the 100+ year-old trail that goes from the north end of Lake Te Anau to beautiful Milford Sound. It is one of the “Great Walks” in New Zealand, a title reserved for the most scenic and rewarding hikes in this very scenic country. After breakfast, I laced up my boots, donned my gaiters, raincoat and rain pants, shouldered my pack with its rain cover, and started out.

The trail itself followed the Roaring Burn and Arthur Rivers and skirted two large lakes on its 11 mile path to Milford Sound, running mostly downhill. As we settled into our hiking rhythm, we were surrounded by falling rain and water. We were hiking through a U-shaped valley formed eons ago by glaciers, with steep mountains on either side. By the time we hit the trail, more than three inches of rain had fallen since early morning. Often the trail was slightly elevated, with trenches on one or both sides to accommodate runoff. In many cases these trenches overflowed, and we found ourselves walking through eight to ten inches of water where it flowed over the trail and into our boots.

Other than my wet feet, I was relatively comfortable, mostly dry inside my rain gear, and warmed by my hiking. I was surrounded by the sights and sounds of rushing water. It thundered in the stream next to us and cascaded down from the hillsides gaining momentum as it fell. Every sound that fast-moving water could make filled my ears —tumbling, roaring, rumbling, whooshing. The trail itself was spongy in places and often muddy, and I knew that wet rocks could be slippery, but I felt safe. Trail managers monitored the amount of water and would close sections of trail if necessary.

Gradually, the water sounds filled my conscious mind and I began to experience myself as simply part of this landscape I was moving through. As I walked along, I reflected on the power of God’s creation, fearsome power that could be generative or destructive. The rains nurtured the abundant vegetation surrounding me, but moving in overflowing rivers and streams, they could also injure or drown people and obliterate buildings, bridges and crops.

So often, we cut ourselves off from the natural world and the weather. We are comfort-seeking beings, happy to be safe and cozy inside while the winds howl, the snow blankets the ground, or the rains tumble around us. Walking down this water-soaked trail, I marveled at the beauty and power surrounding me. I found myself repeating phrases of psalms and prayers in my mind–Glory be to God on high, all power and glory be to God. I was filled with awe and gratitude as I walked.

After a few hours the rain began to let up, and the sky cleared in patches. As we crossed bridges where the view opened up, we could see the water falling from the cliffsides on its way to the rivers and streams below. I continued to meditate on the power of creation, wanting to gather some of that power within me and into all the corners of the world where justice, righteousness and mercy are so badly needed.

We finished this day of hiking with a short water taxi ride on magnificent Milford Sound. Mountains rose around me as we skimmed over the water, and I felt sated with beauty and wonder. Looking back on that day, that sense of wonder has stayed with me. I will continue to seek the opportunity to experience again that sense of unity with the landscape I travel through, whether it is a walk around Green Lake, a hike in the Cascades, or an hour of weeding in my garden.

Praise be to God, the Creator of the universe and everything in it!