Earthkeepers: A Circlewood Podcast on Creation Care and Spirituality · Forrest Inslee

Welcoming Creation: A Celtic Advent Reflection, with Christine Sine and Brother Seán Aherne | Ep. 118

·11 min·1 clip

Celtic Christianity teaches that all creation is filled with God's essence, not made from nothing.

This episode features a narrated excerpt from Christine Sine's book "Celtic Advent," read by host Forrest Inslee's friend John Ahern. It is a reflective, standalone holiday episode diverging from the podcast's typical interview format. The content explores Celtic Christian spiritual traditions centered on creation care. The episode explains that Celtic Advent begins on November 15th, forty days before Christmas, contrasting with conventional Western Advent. It cites J. Philip Newell's "The Christ of the Celts," which references the ninth-century teacher John Scotus Eriugena. Eriugena taught that God speaks through two books: the "little book" of scripture and the "vast book" of creation. The narration argues that listening to only one of these "books" results in an incomplete spiritual understanding. A central story is that of the 6th-century Irish saint Kevin of Glendalough. According to legend, a blackbird once mistook the saint's outstretched hand for a branch and built a nest in it. St. Kevin remained motionless, enduring pain until the eggs hatched and the fledglings flew away. The episode connects this tale to the concept of the Incarnation—God becoming flesh in Jesus—which is presented as a divine affirmation of the natural world's sacredness. The reflection poses a question about how a belief that creation is made from God's own substance would change one's attitude toward the environment. It suggests practical activities for the season, like taking walks, feeding birds, or outdoor prayer. Listeners are invited to go to a green space, observe a natural object like a rock or leaf, and journal about how it reveals an aspect of God's glory. The episode concludes with a poem from Alexander Carmichael's "Carmina Gadelica," collected in the Scottish Hebrides, which praises the presence of God's virtue in all plants, creatures, and stars. The tone is contemplative, educational, and gently instructional, weaving together theology, legend, and personal practice. It adopts a serene and hospitable narrative style, inviting listeners into a moment of quiet reflection. This episode would deeply appeal to listeners interested in Christian spirituality, Celtic traditions, contemplative ecology, or integrating environmental reverence into religious observance. Those seeking interviews, current events, or scientific analysis of environmental issues might find this meditative narrative less engaging.

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