ABSTRACT
Religious and secular interpretations of nature frequently construe natural processes as a commentary on human wrongdoing. Some interpretations of the meaning of COVID-19 show a similar anthropocentric bias. This chapter explores the possibility of locating meaning in and connection with nature in the midst of pandemic-induced stillness, without fixating on humans and our own egocentric preoccupations. Practices of attending to nature and natural soundscapes can function as a decentering spiritual exercise akin to prayer. Attunement to biophony, the sounds produced by living organisms, can pave the way for what might be termed “biophany,” the manifestation of nature’s vital, sacred presence.
