Forces of nature.

Nature lives its own inner life, unknown to us and almost inaccessible to science. The frightening forces hidden within her, even in the small parts of its substance — were shown in the study of the atom and its release, or in splitting it. At the same time, how softly and docile these forces function in the life form of the world. What consonance in the activity of nature’s elements, and what collaboration, mutual assistance! Consider the wind and cloud. They do not even have an individual existence, don’t have their own living vigour, which is present in an insignificant blade of grass. They are fleeting manifestations: the wind came and went, the cloud thickened and was washed out with rain — it’s gone. However, note how intelligently they work together with the sun and with each other, and their collaboration is aimed for the welfare of others, especially for giving life to plants. The cloud gives them moisture and protects them against the sun’s searing rays. However, the cloud doesn’t have its own energy to move in the air, this task is undertaken by the wind. It drives the cloud, bringing it in and leading it out. The wind then dries the land, protecting the soil from acidity, which is harmful to plants, and at the same time shielding it from the effect of direct rays of the sun. Where are you hidden, you kind, intelligent powers that are active in these manifestations? Here we have a grove of trees, untouched by man and left alone. If the hand of man doesn’t interfere with the life of the forest, it’s arrangement would be organically whole as a collector of organisms: it surrounds itself with a border of thorny thickets for protection, permits the growth of a ground cover that is more beneficial to it, collects and stores the necessary reservoirs of water for itself, regulates the penetration of the sun’s rays into its grove, preserves within it the less robust, the less hardy types of plants. That’s why it’s not astonishing that pantheistic images emerged in mankind, ideas of the presence of forest, water and other gods. Outpouring of feelings of nature among artists is akin to pantheism… e.g. from Tiutchev: "It is not what you imagine about nature — it’s not blind, not a lifeless image, it has a soul, it has freedom, it has love, it has a language." He further directly censures the then reigning materialism.

"They do not see and do not hear,

they dwell in the world as though in darkness,

to them there is no sun,

and no life in the ocean’s waves.

The rays have never descended into their souls,

Spring has never bloomed in their breasts,

The forests did never speak in their presence,

And the starry night was mute;

And with an unearthly tongue,

disturbing rivers and forests,

thunder didn’t counsel with them

in a friendly conversation…

But in this case, wouldn’t even we arrive at pantheism? No, our mind must rise above this. It is not the atom that is divine, which people split and force it to serve them. That which is under our total control and that of animals is not divinity — but only part thereof. When the same poet presents the world as God’s vestment, he is not thinking pantheistically: "Nature’s fabric God’s universal vestment, maybe." This image is very close to that of the Bible’s, which is clearer: "Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment" (Psalm 103).

Nature’s hidden wisdom awakens our thoughts. It instils into us that apart from matter and forces, it has something higher: it has its own audibility so as to fulfil God’s directives: "Let the earth bring forth…let the waters bring forth" (Gen. 1:11, 20) the fig-tree succumbs to the Saviour’s words: "Let no fruit grow on you ever again" "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever" (Matt: 21:19); and the stormy sea fulfils His directive: "Peace, be still" (Mark 5:39). Nature is permeated with a will to fulfil objectives directed from above; it praises God with all its being, fulfils directives of heavenly ranks: Principalities, Dominions and Powers. And we confess in the prayer (blessing of water): "Before Thee tremble supersensual powers; thee the sun praiseth, the moon worshippeth, the stars submit to Thee, the light obeyeth, the tempests tremble, the springs worship Thee…"