The Great Mystery
- Paul Cotter
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
Some mysteries are deeper than we can fully fathom. But certain cultures believe there’s a way of thinking that can help us plumb the depths of understanding – a way that can give us a greater appreciation for our place in the world and our relationship to all things.
I stood at the edge of the koi pond, watching the fish swim below the surface as reflections of the green trees and our red Japanese gazebo danced across the water.
To Native Americans, these fish are endowed with the same life force as you or me. The Lakota Indians call this force Wakan Tanka, which means The Great Spirit or The Great Mystery. Wakan Tanka is the all-encompassing energy that flows through all things, from the smallest tadpole to the largest creatures on earth.
In the Native American worldview, everything is alive with the presence of The Great Mystery. They see no separation between the sacred and the ordinary; to them, everything is sacred.
The writer and scholar Kent Nerburn said, “One of the reasons I love the Native traditions is that for them, everything – every moment, every encounter, every leaf, every tree – is a teacher, and you best stand humble before it or you will miss what it has to offer.”
St. Francis of Assisi shared this all-inclusive understanding that God is found in every aspect of the world around us. In his poem, Canticle of the Creatures, he wrote:
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh also shared this view. He told us, "You can see God in a pebble, in a piece of dust, in a butterfly, in a sunflower. You can see God in others ... You can see God as the sunshine. You can see God as a river."
I stood at the edge of the pond. The koi fish swam in the water beneath Sir Brother Sun. I did my best to stand humble before them, not wanting to miss what they had to offer.
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