There are some places that just lend themselves to a spiritual state of mind.  I am always in awe of the power of Nature, especially features that demonstrate raw power.  We harness the power of high waterfalls to make electricity.

I could stand there for a long time, just watching and listening to the power of Nature.  The powerhouse buildings in the left photo look pretty small, in relation to the height of the falls, and the sound of the water.

On the other extreme, I think this tiny waterfall would make a good Zen Buddhist shrine, if it were located in a different place.  As it is, it’s beside the trail at Tumwater Falls Park in Olympia, Washington.

My bet is that thousands of hikers walk right by that little waterfall without even noticing it’s there.

Like Tina, I have been to Israel, the land of my people, the Jews.  Most places in the Old City are spiritual by nature, but no place as much as this place.

The Western (Wailing) Wall of the Second Temple is the most sacred place for the Jewish people.  It represents all that remains of the Second Temple, built for worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  I took a picture of my own hand on the wall, so I always remember where I came from, and that I was there.  In that photo, you can see the pieces of paper tucked into cracks in the stone blocks.  People write prayers on those little pieces of paper, in hopes that God will answer them.

I have a “surrogate Mom”, who happens to be Armenian Christian.  I wandered through the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, and took this photo for her.

Another very spiritual place for the Jews in Israel is the fortress of Masada, where a hardy band of Jews held out against the Roman Army for many years.  When they finally ran out of food and water, those who remained committed suicide, rather than be captured and exiled by the Romans.  Just the thought, makes people quake in their boots.

Walls and room, Masada, Israel

In Colorado, there is a state park called Garden of the Gods.  Just walking among the red-rock spires can convince a person that it was made to be a spiritual place.

Balancing rocks, Garden of the Gods

Spire, Garden of the Gods

One person we saw did seem to be having a spiritual experience there.

To many, music makes for a spiritual experience.  The new Christ Chapel at Hillsdale College was built for that.  The pipe organ is very beautiful, and we were fortunate to get to hear it.

I had my own musical spiritual experience in 2006, when I was privileged to play in Carnegie Hall with my local orchestra.  Talk about being in the presence of greatness!  That hall had heard the violin excellence of hundreds of sublime musicians over 100 years, and I almost felt them looking over my shoulder as I played.  I didn’t take this photo, but it is my most-cherished picture of myself at Carnegie Hall.

And here’s the photo I took outside the hall.

Here’s the Link to Tina’s Original Post for this week.