Friday, August 26, 2005
Earth :: Starting Something
Inspired by Captain Planet...Ummm...I mean inspired by the Greek's philosophy of the elements, I thought I'd try to map my reflections on each of the those items: Earth, Fire, Water and Wind.
Thus it begins.
There are three threads that pull together into my conceptualisation of earth. From Taekwon-do I recall that it is from the earth that a plant grows and takes root, it is the earth that provides a nurturing environment for the seed and sapling. The plant represents the development of the person in skill and maturity; the earth the community and knowledge in which he or she is planted.
People, however, are not rooted like plants. We often transplant ourselves into new soils and this affects one's development. I would contend that the first introjects¹ create an almost unbreakable force. Perhaps the tree analogy would continue to be useful. Nutrients from the earth are sucked up by the tree's roots and transformed into the tree itself. The quality of the environmental factors, such as earth, affects the quality of the organism's growth. The earth is forever a part of the plant it shapes.
Another rich source of earth imagery comes from the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the poetic narratives that make such fine use of earth.
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Gen 2:4-7 (NIV)
I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"
So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Ecc 3:18-22 (NIV)
The Bible's stories indicate that there is a strong link between the earth and bloggers...or at least there should be. Modern Western culture's ongoing scarring of the natural environment reflects that we have missed this element of our lives. These passages highlight both the circular nature of our experience and the ongoing narrative that shapes our lives and cultures.
Earth represents life to me. Often trodden on, constantly in use and seldom examined closely even though close examination often yields surprising and fascinating results.
This connection and everyday spirituality brings me to my third major influence. The people of New Zealand are Tangata Whenua - People of the Land. Maori religion recognises and brings to the forefront the numinous nature of earth and our relationship to it. Kudos to those in every culture that continue the (dare I say it?) holy work of environmental protection and truly sustainable use.
I should add that Brian McLaren's The Story We Find Ourselves In, which I am reading at the moment, anchors our connection with the earth within the Christian tradition. And also that the maori concept of 'the land' is much greater than simply earth.
Feel free to add your own symbolism of earth in a comment.
¹ Introjects: n : (psychoanalysis) a parental figures (and their values) that you introjected as a child; the voice of conscience is usually a parent's voice internalized v : incorporate (attitudes or ideas) into one's personality unconsciously. Thanks, dictionary.com.
Thus it begins.
:: Earth ::
There are three threads that pull together into my conceptualisation of earth. From Taekwon-do I recall that it is from the earth that a plant grows and takes root, it is the earth that provides a nurturing environment for the seed and sapling. The plant represents the development of the person in skill and maturity; the earth the community and knowledge in which he or she is planted.
People, however, are not rooted like plants. We often transplant ourselves into new soils and this affects one's development. I would contend that the first introjects¹ create an almost unbreakable force. Perhaps the tree analogy would continue to be useful. Nutrients from the earth are sucked up by the tree's roots and transformed into the tree itself. The quality of the environmental factors, such as earth, affects the quality of the organism's growth. The earth is forever a part of the plant it shapes.
Another rich source of earth imagery comes from the Hebrew Scriptures, especially the poetic narratives that make such fine use of earth.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Gen 2:4-7 (NIV)
I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"
So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?
Ecc 3:18-22 (NIV)
The Bible's stories indicate that there is a strong link between the earth and bloggers...or at least there should be. Modern Western culture's ongoing scarring of the natural environment reflects that we have missed this element of our lives. These passages highlight both the circular nature of our experience and the ongoing narrative that shapes our lives and cultures.
Earth represents life to me. Often trodden on, constantly in use and seldom examined closely even though close examination often yields surprising and fascinating results.
This connection and everyday spirituality brings me to my third major influence. The people of New Zealand are Tangata Whenua - People of the Land. Maori religion recognises and brings to the forefront the numinous nature of earth and our relationship to it. Kudos to those in every culture that continue the (dare I say it?) holy work of environmental protection and truly sustainable use.
I should add that Brian McLaren's The Story We Find Ourselves In, which I am reading at the moment, anchors our connection with the earth within the Christian tradition. And also that the maori concept of 'the land' is much greater than simply earth.
Feel free to add your own symbolism of earth in a comment.
¹ Introjects: n : (psychoanalysis) a parental figures (and their values) that you introjected as a child; the voice of conscience is usually a parent's voice internalized v : incorporate (attitudes or ideas) into one's personality unconsciously. Thanks, dictionary.com.
Craig (mars-hill) Friday, August 26, 2005
