This I Believe

This I Believe

Reverence for Nature

When I was young, I was fortunate to have spent eight summers at a camp in

Ontario which provided canoe trips as its main activity. In addition to some

lasting friendships, these excursions into a land of forests and lakes

taught me the joys of outdoor activities and instilled in me a deep

appreciation of the beauty to be found in nature.

I believe that the source of all things, material and spiritual, is nature

itself. Every material thing that exists, including the material out of

which we are made, comes from nature. Nature is the source of all

information ranging from the infinitely small world of particle physics

through the chemistry of matter and the biochemistry of life to the

infinitely large world of astrophysics and cosmology. The more we understand

the laws of nature and the information they contain, the greater the mystery

and wonder of the unknown that lies before us. Nature is the source of

truth, but since we cannot know nature in its entirety, we cands in ruin,

dramatically illustrated in Thomas Colefs series of paintings 8The Course of

Empiree.

I believe that the mystery and wonder that lies in nature makes the

invocation of the supernatural and anthropomorphic reference to a supreme

being unnecessary. The question of the existence of such a being cannot be

answered, and, in the last analysis, is unimportant. What is important is

what we do with our lives to improve the human condition so that our species

will survive and thrive on this planet in the long run. By creating the

conditions that will enable succeeding generations to continue to unlock the

mystery of nature is what gives life meaning, and it is only through the

long-term development of our species in balance with the rest of nature that

anything approaching immortality can be attained.

As I get older, spiritual matters are becoming more important, and I am

thankful for my childhood experiences that taught me a reverence for nature.