Scouting the Divine: Searching for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey
By Margaret Feinberg
Spiritual things can be hard to understand.
Our spirit, the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual nature of things are invisible. Thankfully, the Creator designed nature in such a way that we can learn a lot about God, humanity, and the unseen things in life by observing, studying, and working with plants, animals, science, biology, etc.
I think this is one of the biggest downsides of being immersed in a digital life. We need to be outside. Caring for a garden, running barefoot on a beach, walking silently through the woods, watching creatures going about their work, listening to birdsong, and using our bodies, not just our minds and fingertips.
This is why I appreciate that Margaret wrote Scouting the Divine. There are so many references in the Bible that rural Eastern readers would’ve understood that urban Westerners just don’t.
The book is divided into four parts, corresponding to Margaret’s visits to a shepherdess in Oregon, a farmer in Nebraska, a beekeeper in Colorado, and a vintner in California. Sheep, fields/the harvest, honey, and wine are mentioned many times throughout Scripture, so Margaret asks these professionals what those parts of Scripture mean to them.
If you’re looking for a short but enlightening read that will help you understand your Bible and God’s loving care a LOT more, I highly recommend Scouting the Divine!