like a deer started by sudden movement
we feel the need to bolt
as the world grows too
loud too fast
our nervous system
waves the white flag
to retreat
to find stillness
and if we don’t listen
if we don’t honor our
need for solitude
we burst at the seams.
—Scott Stillman
As autumn is upon us, it is meant to be a time for slowing down. The rush of spring and summer now give way to the crisp air that invites us to gather around a campfire and reflect on the blessings and challenges of the past few months and what remains for 2025.
As I begin to slow down and shift gears towards a season of reflection, these words by Scott Stillman are resonating in my heart. And I am reminded that his words echo the sentiment and reason that we have a sacred place like Emmaus.
For the times when the world gets too loud or too fast, come to camp for quiet and stillness. When our nervous system begins waving a white flag, it’s time to surrender to the pace and chaos of brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible aspects our lives and rediscover how camp provides a robust, tranquil, reliable, and clear sense of connection to Christ and Creation (by disconnecting from the world).
Autumn is a season for retreat, a time for stillness, a time for solitude. Because if we do not honor our need for solitude, we will surely burst at the seams. And if your heart and soul are like a deer started by a sudden movement and you feel the need to bolt, then do so knowing you can find solace on these sacred grounds called Emmaus.
Respectfully in Christ,
Randall Westfall
