- The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. -
Finally, keeping my promise and dealing with verses 6 and 7 together today.
Both deal with aspects of Nature. One is discussing the patterns of the wind while the other is about the flow of water.
The lesson learned? Similar to the path of the sun, the wind and the rivers repeat their paths over and over without changing; their cycles outlast the generations of man.
Solomon shows us Mom just doesn’t care. The wind brings storms, but she treads the same paths, uncaring how it affects us. The streams go where they demand, needing to be diverted by dams to make mills.
Now, Nature feels distorted in our age. We see it through a noble lens. A returning to the way things once were. A place to “get away from it all.”
The “all” we are talking about of course is the hectic, modern, urban life.
That’s all well and good, and I love a good hike! We need to understand though that’s really just a side of Nature.
Dear old Mom is a killer, though by negligence not malevolence.
Let’s talk food chain. There’s plenty of accounts on social media surfacing videos of lions, bears, hyenas, etc. brutally killing their prey. Get googling if you got a strong stomach.
What about disease? Mosquitoes man. Why do those even exist? One of our top priorities as a human species should be eliminating those that carry malaria.
What about old age? Ever wonder why we grow old? Your body is super good at replacing cells that get damaged. Why does that stop?
Your cells have a set number of times they can divide. Once that limit is reached, it becomes a lot harder for your body to repair itself. Why the limit? Cancer. This keeps tumors from running out of control and killing you.
You die of old age because your body isn’t responsible enough to handle immortality.
Nature is both terror and beauty. She is a crush walking into the room; the fear of rejection and excitement in one dizzying cocktail.
Because of this one-sided view, our conversation regarding global warming becomes infuriating.
Have you ever heard someone say what a scourge human beings are on the planet? Despite the statement being filled with unspeakable genocide (ask yourself, what humans do they want to perish first?), it’s disturbing in its shortsightedness.
Do you know how long it took for us to get the upper hand? How recently Nature has to watch us with a wary eye?
Don’t get me wrong, Nature is still a threat, but the only reason the tables have turned is years and years and years of men and women whittling away at her choke hold.
What can we do? For the moment, we feel like teenagers finally able to leave the house without supervision. Have a little mercy; We’ll calm down.
Maybe as careful masters we can be more generous than she was.
Walk in Nature knowing both her personalities. Be a generous caretaker of what you are over.
Hold tight and serve the King over you both.
Reading Recommendation:
If you want an excellent read on Nature and God’s mastery over her, go pick up Miracles by C.S. Lewis. Yep, the title is a tad misleading.
I would like to hear more about what you think of mother nature and how you think man tamed her? How long has Old Mom been around? Would like to understand your thoughts on Gen 1. Excellent writer you are (Yoda)! Your illustrations to explain your points are well thought out and fun to follow...thank you!