Kelli Gotthardt

One of the greatest temptations is to try to quantify, explain, and systematize the spiritual journey. Early on, those frameworks can be helpful—they give us guideposts and language for what we’re experiencing. But as we mature, the journey becomes less definable. Less certainty, more mystery...

Recently, I took a leisurely stroll through the Botanical Gardens in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Our small group began in the Garden of Fragrance, where the rich aromas seemed to invite us into worship. From there we wandered through the rhododendron garden and then on to the redwood grove. Since I live across the street from a vast redwood forest and had just hiked there days before, I didn’t expect to be particularly moved. I was wrong...