Transcendentalism
"The greatest delight which the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable."
This phrase stood out to me because when I read it, I said to my self "Is this guy for real? A relation between men and vegetables?". That is a pretty strange thing to say! When I thought about it for a while though, I realized that we do have a connection with nature. I am sure everyone feels at one with nature, like they belong there every once and a while. This does kind of make sense. This means that the greatest thing that nature gives us is a relationship with it. It lets us get to know it and look at it.
This idea is appealing to people because it sounds insane to some at first but when you really think about it, you have one of those moments when you think "I know, right?". People like this idea because it is a beautiful thought. Nature is so beautiful so who wouldn't want to have a relationship with it? The world can be so noisy and chaotic but to have a relationship with nature, that gives us a sense of peace.
When I went to the YMCA camp in Sattal this year, I felt like I had a relationship with nature. I usually don't enjoy getting up early but in Sattal, everything was so natural, so peaceful, fresh and beautiful. It made me feel like I was one with nature. God made the birds sing to me and God made the sun shine for me. There is truth in this. Nature gives us food, clothes and a lot of needed things. It provides so much for us, therefore, we do have a relationship with nature.
The problem with this quote though is that the fields and woods don't give us this relationship, it is given to us by God. He created nature for us to enjoy. We have him to thank for nature. When we start to worship nature as a creator and a God, that begins to be a probelem because God made nature, nature didn't create itself. God made nature for us to enjoy so it upsets him when you worship his creation instead of him, the creator.
The bible says that nature is beautiful and God lets have us have a relationship with it but nature will wear off but God will not. We should remember that we only get to have a relationship with nature because of God and we should thank God. We shouldn't get too carried off with these transcendentalist ideas. The most important thing is God.
I just have to quote your last blog post in response to this; it is so relevant!
ReplyDelete"The water is like a crystal, I am part of the underwater world. As I pass between the colorful coral, I feel like a bird feels when it soars through the sky. The friendly fish greet me, they are as curious as I am. The ocean floor is covered in tiny grains of beige sand and beautiful sky blue starfish. A sting ray gracefully flies under me, majestically flapping its “wings”. The lion fish are drifting slowly with the current, they are deadly but beautiful. They are red and orange; their spines stick up from their backs like a Christmas tree. A Great Barracuda swims by; it is a beautiful and solitary creature. It's silver scales sparkle as it moves slowly. Huge schools of little silver fish move around together. They are a perfect example of a team. They all move together and as they move, they almost seem like thousands of little shooting stars. I can hear nothing but my own breathing. Slow and steady, in and out. No fuss or words, it’s just me and the ocean."