As pastor of a congregation in Tempe, I am naturally interested in the spiritual lives of our church members. I sometimes ask, "When have you felt closest to God?" They don't say: "During your sermons." For many, the most intense experience of the holy has been on a mountaintop, or by a stream, or next to the ocean.Why should this surprise us? We're told that Jesus often went to the wilderness to pray and regroup for his ministry. It was outdoors in the wilderness where Moses heard God speak from the burning bush and Abraham and Sarah marveled at the countless stars in the sky. The Psalms are filled with praises for God's creation.So it's no wonder that many people experience God most intensely outdoors in creation. Wilderness is part of our biblical heritage.Recently, I had the opportunity to share that message with Arizona's congressional delegation as one of 135 conservation advocates from 19 different states who joined together in Washington, D.C., to lobby congressional leaders.Seven Arizonans visited our senators and representatives to advocate wilderness designation for the Tumacacori Highlands in southern Arizona. More than 80,000 acres of oak-grassland rolling hills, deep canyons and broad vistas, the Tumacacori Highlands southwest of Tucson is Arizona like it used to be and may yet remain: a home for endangered species, a functioning ecosystem, a challenging landscape and a place for quiet spiritual reflection.My pitch to the congressmen went like this: "I'm Doug Bland, pastor of Community Christian Church in Tempe and chairman of the Earth Care Commission for the Arizona Ecumenical Council (AEC)."The AEC is made up of 17 different denominations, Protestant and Catholic, and has more than a million and a half members around the state. We support wilderness designation for the Tumacacori Highlands for several reasons."I then shared with them the story of so many people of faith who feel the presence of God when they are outdoors enjoying the solitude of natural places. I affirm our desire to ensure that there are always unspoiled places like the Tumacacori Highlands where we and our children and grandchildren can experience God's presence in creation.I tell them we are part of a tradition that is called to speak for "the least of these." Sometimes the voiceless ones are people - homeless, hungry, abused people - but other times the "least of these" include the land or a special plant or animal species. The Tumacacori Highlands are endangered by unprecedented growth, rapid urbanization, off-road vehicles, global warming, over-grazing and pollution - and there are several species of plants and animals found only in this area whose existence is threatened. We speak on their behalf.On a personal note, I tell them about my brother, Al. He and I stand at opposite ends of the political and religious spectrum. Name most any issue that divides our society - abortion, homosexuality, immigration - and Al and I disagree.But there is one thing that brings us together: Every summer we meet to go backpacking in the wilderness. Along with many other liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, we join together to speak in support of wilderness.My brother and I, and many members of the congregations I serve, exemplify a truth about our wider society: While there is no shortage of controversial issues with the potential to divide us into opposing camps, there is a growing consensus in the faith community and elsewhere that preserving the environment, reversing global warming, working for clean air and water, and protecting wilderness are values that we can agree upon, no matter where we place ourselves on political and religious spectrums. Wilderness is our common ground.
