Wonder and Awe
WELCOME TO WONDER AND AWE
THE NATURAL WORLD
The experience of awe and wonder has been described in literature and scripture, depicted in art, and attested to in the experiences of countless individuals. When it comes to the natural world, many religions see it as a means to connect with a deity or greater power, whereas science tends to try to understand and search for the purpose of various aspects of our world.
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“The is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”
Psalm 24: 1
"The Earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his stewards over it"
Qur'an
"Radiate boundless love towards the entire world"
Buddha
Rationale
For the presentation of this task, I chose to create a digital museum of awe and wonder which focused on the natural world, through the medium of a website. For as long as I can remember, the natural world has fascinated me and so, presented with the opportunity to convey this interest, I believed this to be the most interesting task to produce. There was not a sole piece of inspiration for the creative piece I have presented, more of a collective inspiration; the nature documentaries so often narrated by Sir David Attenborough. The documentaries by Attenborough often shine light on some of the lesser known aspects of our remarkable planet, but nonetheless aim to glorify and encourage the care and respect of Earth and its inhabitants.
Throughout the investigation into the beliefs in regards to nature, of Christianity, Buddhism and Islam, I was amazed by the similarities in their values. In the world today, so often negativity is attributed to conflicting religious beliefs, yet as discovered in my research; more often than not the teachings of different religions are virtually the same. In the case of this subject, nature and the natural world, the beliefs of Christianity, Buddhism and Islam all instil the values of care and respect. I attempted to convey this idea from the beginning of the website; with the inclusion of the three passages from the Bible, the Qur’an and Buddha.
From the study of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, I was left amazed by his charisma and commitment to calling for change. ‘On Care for our Common Home’ is the subtitle of the piece, and that is just that. Our Common Home. It is shared by everyone, and as such, it is the role of everyone to care and continue to care for the world. Pope Francis’ encyclical is a global call to arms, and reiterates not only the Catholic beliefs in regards to the environment, but the beliefs of all world religions and a vast majority of the scientific community.
World Religions and the Natural World
Christianity
A Catholic Perspective
As a Catholic, wonder and awe is taught to be one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and seen as the gift that encourages one to be in awe of God. Through this, arguably no way to experience this concept of wonder and respect greater, is through the appreciation of the natural world. The overarching biblical perspective of the natural world is summed up in the Psalm of David; ‘The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’ (Psalm 24: 1). The Bible begins with two creation accounts, both emphasising that God created (Genesis 1:1) and made (Genesis 2:4) the Earth.
The importance of God’s role in nature is not just stressed throughout the Old Testament however, it is emphasised just as greatly through the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Paul writes; ‘For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are on Earth…all things were created by him, and for him’ (Col 1: 16). All things were created by God, and for God. The Bible has a lot to say about the natural world, from the famous opening chapters of Genesis to the final words promising a new heaven and a new earth in Revelations (Slick, M 2016). It is made clear that God created the world, with the intentions of providing for ALL His creations, not simply mankind.
In the encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis stresses the importance of the care for our common home. In the text, Pope Francis calls all people of the world to take swift and unified global action against environmental degradation and the issue of global warming and climate change. This global ‘call-to-arms’ amplifies the Christian principle beliefs of God’s role in nature, and the part we have to play in the protection and care of the Earth.
Buddhism
A Buddhist's attitude to nature
Buddhism, in common with some other Eastern traditions, does not make the big distinction found in the West between “nature” and human beings (Ellis, R 2016). It is stressed that we are not set apart from nature (similarly to Christianity), but that we are a part of it.
Buddhism is more often than not, considered as a way of life designed to eradicate human suffering (Silva, L 2005). The Buddha refused to answer questions which did not directly or indirectly bear on the central problem of human suffering and its ending. Furthermore, environmental pollution is a problem of the modern age, unheard of and unsuspected during the time of the Buddha. Therefore it is difficult to find any specific discourse which deals with the topic we are interested in here. However, the modern teachings and comments of the Dalai Lama can be interpreted and applied to the respect and care of the natural world.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, has released powerful comments in regards to the care of the natural world. In an address given in 1992, the Dalai Lama discussed his viewpoints on the state of the world; ‘Modern man in his search for pleasure and affluence has exploited nature without any moral restraint’ (Dalai Lama, 2016).
Islam
A Muslim View
Muslims believe the world is God’s gift to mankind and that there is proof of His existence in every natural object (Mohiuddin, A 2010). The finest grain of sand, with its patterned arrangements of atoms, displays the minute detail of His reckoning. From the smallest of viruses to the largest of plants and animals, every living creature presents signs of God’s creational capacity. The universe serves as a reminder that the extent of His creation is still unknown to man, and in this wondrous Universe, man’s place is that of the ultimate creation.
From the Qur’an, it is taught that humanity has a duty to protect and take responsibility for the well-being of Allah’s creation (Mohiuddin, A 2010). The world and everything in it provides for needs of mankind.
However, the utilization of this creation should be done in a respectful and responsible manner, all the while recognizing the generosity of Allah. Muslims believe in accountability, and cruelty to Allah’s creation and lack of respect of the natural world will be one of the bases for judgment.
Science and Nature
Over the course of human history, people have developed many interconnected and validated ideas about the physical, biological, psychological, and social worlds. Those ideas have enabled successive generations to achieve an increasingly comprehensive and reliable understanding of the human species and its environment. Newton and gravity, Darwin and evolution, Einstein and relativity, to name just a few, these great ideas have contributed to some of the greatest revelations in human history. Science and nature, are universally intertwined. The study and exploration of nature, has lead to arguably the greatest accomplishments ever.
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“The proper use of science is not to conquer nature, but to live in it ”
Barry Commoner
"Natural science, does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the inertplay between nature and ourselves"
Werner Heisenberg
"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you"
Frank Lloyd Wright
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