Brothers,
As I mentioned in class today, the transcendentalists were greatly concerned with the spiritual element of nature and its relationship to God and the Soul.
But what does all of this mean according to you?
Put another way:
What is nature? What, or who is the Soul? And of course, what, or who is God?
Reflect upon these questions and post your answers to this thread (remember, click the subject heading above and scroll down in order to click "comment"). You can use as much room within your "dialogue box" to answer the questions as you see fit. I challenge you to use your imagination and consider those images which come to mind when you hear or read the words: Nature, Soul, God. Be creative and offer feedback to your classmates should you feel so inclined.
Peace,
BRob
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23 comments:
I feel as i hear the three words nature, soul, and God that they are almost all as one. When you think deeply about this, God created our being, and nature in its self. I think of our being as our souls. Our soul is the true meaning to each individual person. Our soul really gives a great deal of information to who we really are as a human being created in God's likeness. When i hear the word nature i think about a beautiful landscape of trees, rivers, creeks, and God's creatures living a flourishing throughout this landscape. Nature and soul are both in our God. God gives us our meaning to life and our true identity. God to me is a giver to our world and what we know of it today. Only God knows our true being and that is what makes God the greatest of all.
When i hear "soul" i think about a person's feelings. I think of a strong will to do something. I think that the soul brings out strength emotionally, mentally, and physically. I also think when someone tells someone else they have a soul, to me it is if they are saying that they have heart in whatever it is they are doing. When i hear "nature" i think about to things: wind and fire. There is a song i listen to called "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and in it, one of the lines says "I came across a fallen tree, I felt the branches are they looking at me." As weird as it may sound, i do believe that trees and other living plants know of your resence. In the case of wind, i think of walking through that forrest or wood and feeling the breeze. In the case of fire, i think of that particular forrest dying, yet, at the same time, rebirth. When i hear "God" i think about someone who is always there for me. I think of hard times and great times. To me, i DO believe that there is a meaning in life for everything. With God, i believe there comes a good out of every bad. God is love, and love is something that i share with those who i care about. Lastly, God is the belief in something good. Something so great, as to will someone to do what is right, as oppose to wrong.
There are a lot of things that nature, soul, and God mean to me. Nature is all of the earth and its relationship to other living things. It is the natural order of things in life. It is the process through which things occur as created by God. Soul is the uniqueness of each person, it allows them to make their own destiny and have individuality. That is what makes a difference in all of us it is like our will to live and to love and be loved by others. The soul is ones true self. God is the essence of everything. He is the creator of us, the earth, even the universe. He is the reason for nature, and its many ways. Because of God there are many things in life we take for granted which he has given to us and we are all very appreciative of what he has given us and the opportunities we have because of him.
There can be many different definitions that come to mind when one would hear the words soul, nature, and God. Personally, when I hear the word soul I think of a person and their individuality. Some people may seem to be alike in some ways but everyone and their individuality is completely different. By this individuality people can choose how they want to live their lives. When the word nature comes to mind I think of the whole world and everything that has been created inside of the world. Nature is also the process of dieing and rebirth which is the basis of all life. Lastly when the word God comes to mind I think of the combination of soul, nature, and love. God has created all of this for man kind to take advantage of. God is the greatest love that has and will ever be shown, and it is always there for anyone to take.
These worda are very important to me to the common man. The word soul to me is what defines one from others. I believe that the soul shows your individuality. The soul is what tells people who you are. Nature is what is all around us. It is the Earth that was made by God. It is also the beginning of the human race and its nature. Nature is just the way in which something on the Earth functions. God is whom I believe to be the creator. He is all powerful over the human race. He is all powerful, but at the same time is my guardian. He protects me and takes care of me. He created all that is good in the world. Therefore, I see a sort of a relation between the three. God created nature which we have in our humanity and that of the natural world around us. Our souls also given to us by help us be individuals and lead good lives to share in God's loving presence.
I believe that the three words;nature, soul,and god are all related.God created our soul.Our soul is our mind it is all our thoughts and our conscience.Nature for me is a save haven for the soul.I find it a place to cool down when life seems hard. I myself take walks and swim in the river when life gets hard for me.I find nature soothing to the soul and I believe that Gon created nature in order to find harmony within ourselfs God states this in Genesis"have dominion over the fish of the sea,the birds of the air,and all living things that move on the earth "God also said:"See, i give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing on it is to be your food"
Soul, Nature and God have different definition but are all connected when interpreted by me. Soul, for me, relates to the spirit and the individuality of a person. The soul defines someone in the vast sea of humans. Each person is different and these differences are connected to the soul. Nature is everything on the Earth; everything with which we interact. Another nature I see is the human nature and the inclanation to perform certain actions. God, to me, is the creator, the highest, and makes me think of religion. I think of God all day long because of the prayers we say, either every period of school or personal prayers. God also makes me think of the rituals to which we go to. With God, soul, and nature, a connection is made. I think about how God created all of Nature and our Souls when he brought us into the world.
When I hear the words soul, nature, and God, I think that they are all related in some way. God can be linked to nature because God is the creator of all things, nature and man. Nature is all things contained within God's creation, which includes man. Within each person there is a soul. The soul can be linked back to God because when we die, our souls live on in heaven with God.
I also agree with Bob Kelly (above). The soul, nature, and God are all interrelated. God is the creator of the universe yet he also loves each and every one of us. He created nature reflecting his good work and he also created us. And to all of us, he gave us a soul to morally decide what is right and wrong and whether to follow his Word or not. We see God and his work through nature whether it be a calm ocean, a lightning storm, or a sunny day in a forest. God gave us his work to love and take care of. And when we die, our souls go up to heaven to be with God.
to me God, the Soul and Nature are three different things but are connected in some way. I see the soul as a part of the human body that deals with judgement and making choices between right and wrong. God, to me, is seen as a guide in life that allows us to make the right decisions and is connected to our soul in those directions. Also, Nature refers to all that which cannot make choices and is completely governed by God. in closing we are all connected with everything that we see and everything that we do not, for this reason we must take care of ourselves in order to take care of everything around us.
Nature, soul, and God all intertwine with each other. Nature, to me, is everything around nonliving or living. All of nature is God’s creation and shows us that he loves and cares for us. God created the world and everything around us. God is a father, a role model, a spirit, someone who loves and cares for us. Within each human being is a soul. The soul aches to do good, we have the free will to do what we want, no matter what our choice is God will still love us. After we have passed away God will judge us, and we will stand before him, our soul will either go to heaven, purgatory, or hell.
Most people associate the soul with heaven, as it said that the soul leaves the body at death to join God in heaven. To me the soul is the spiritual aspect of humans, both in faith and reverance to God and all that a person does. Nature is not only interpreted in the literal sense, the birds and trees, but it can also be the nature and ways that God loves and cares for us. It is in God's nature to love all of his creations no mattter their actions, or behaviors. This brings me to the last term to interpret, God. God is the center of a faithful person's life, not because he forces it, but because we as humans choose to believe. God influences both our souls and the nature in which we live, but not in an overbearing way. His love is ever present for humans to either accept or reject in order to cleanse our soul's and change the nature of our being for the better.
Nature, Soul, and God mean a lot to me. Nature is everything that surrounds us. All animals, plants and other living things. Our Soul is important because it makes us our own person. Our soul is what makes us different from all other people. The soul can not only represent a perons spirituality but there their faith in other things. God can be linked to both Soul and to Nature. We can think of God as the creator of nature and as our own soul. God is a person that we can look to and seek help from in time of troubles.
The soul,nature and God are all very important things to admire. They all help us in our lives and bring us comfort. The soul is the free being inside us all yearning for heaven and God. It is also a feeling that you get when you feel close to something. Nature is all around us you can notice anywhere you go from the giant mountains to the small simple pieces of grass in our yard. It is all around us. As many other people said in their comments they are all related in some way. God , the most important created us all and therefore gave us a soul that wants to do good in order to go back to its creator. God also created nature which is there for our survival and for admiring. God is a very important figure in our lives and created us and the world so we could enjoy it and see his wonders at work.
The spiritual element of nature has a strong relationship to the soul and God. The soul, in my opinion, is that which personally defines us and gives us a sense of identity. Our soul ties us to God, and gives us our spirituality. God is a higher being who gave us our soul, and who helps us live in a spiritual way. Nature is a representation of God, it surrounds us and asserts itself as proof that God exists. It is through our soul that we are connected to God and nature.
Nature, Soul, and God.Nature is what God created and dictates.Everything we see that was directly created by God is "natural" so it is Nature.Theres a plant nature, human nature, animal nature.All of these things are our very being created by God.Just like if God is a baker.He makes all of his ingredients from scratch and then makes different things: cakes, cupcakes, cookies, dough nuts, and danishes.There is then a cookie nature and a cake nature all created by the "baker" or God.Our soul then is or essential being.It is what is there but not there.It isn't a physical attribute that we poses.It is who we are beyond the physical world.God is the great creator behind all of this.He made our souls and nature and did all.
Gentlemen,
Thank you, to those who posted, for your insightful written reflections. I believe that you all brought something interestingly unique yet unified to the thread. More in class...
Ok, I think that u either have 2 be on the soul train or off of it. Do you have soul power? The soul is very fragile, everybody has a soul, everyone has a different one. Nature, or human nature. This type of nature is in everyone, it tells you whether you are doing something right or wrong, like a conscience. I think that it is better to believe in a God than to believe in any other form of life, or nothing, or a statue for that matter.God is everywhere, just like nature, He lives in our soul. God created us.
Bro. Peach sorry I didt' post earliar, I had some internet problems.
Over and out dawg.
God, Nature, and the soul. These three are connected in everything. God has created Nature and the soul, God is apart of our souls, our souls are apart of Nature. When I hear the word Nature I only think of a forest with some wild animals. But now as I actually think about Nature for the first time with meaning, I see it to be more than a forest with some wild animals in them. I now see Nature as a place of everything living. Most people would think we are not living in Nature, but we really are living in Nature. I think Nature is the whole universe. There is no escaping it. It is everything living. Now I hear the word soul. When I hear it, I think of it as merely a part of our human conscience. But I have reflected on the word and it has given me a new definition of soul. I believe it is who we are. It is our whole personality and physical characteristics. The word soul has made me think of another word having to do with the soul: soul-mate. I just thought it was someone you married and lived with your whole married life, but it means so much more now. I believe that a soul-mate is a person you can talk to about everything and be able to do anything with that person. We are connected to God through our souls thanks to the Lord Almighty. I believe it means that even if we don't find a soul-mate, we are still connected to every being on the Earth. So we are all one person, not brother or sister.
tom rose said...
The words "nature," "soul" and "God" mean a lot to me. Nature is beauty in its most raw, pure form. I believe that anything can be reflected through nature such as a person's beuty or personality. When I think of the word, "soul," I think of individuality and a person's true inner self. The soul is what makes one unique apart from their physical appearence. It portrays their action, thought, and emotion. When I think, "God," I think of a higher power that can shine himself through the soul or through nature. He is depicted as a spirit, and he can be anywhere.
Soul
The soul is that that makes a man minus the physical part of him. It will consist of his virtues, thoughts, desires, and dreams. It separates humans from other beings. It is the "deepest" part of a person, in which he cannot lie to himself about, he has to stay true to it.
Nature
Nature is that which exists that doesn't rely on man. It man were never to exist, it would not cease to exist. It is the overall force of all things living interconnected with each other living in harmony, a paradise that human kind has fallen from.
God
God is a being that exists in the sane minds of all beings of thought. Without Him, people would go insane upon learning that their lives were all for nothing. Except with the existence of God, they can all work for an ultimate goal and have a supreme knowledge, and therefore power, over all things that they cannot explain. It is in the human beings nature to want to be wanted, and who better to be loved by than the ultimate, all knowing, ever-existing, creator of the universe.
I think nature is everything in the world that God created that man did not temper with. For examlpe it is the mountains, canyons, waterfalls, etc. The soul is simply what makes a human being themself. The soul gives a human being unique characteristics that make them different from everyone else. After a human dies the soul is what lives on. When a human is created the body is made by the parents but God gives that child a soul. God is and eternal figure that cannot be seen directly but can be seen in different aspects of life. For exaple you can see God in nature because He made it. There are many other places you can see God too.
In my opinion, Nature is everything that is not controlled by humans. Often, this even includes the actions of other humans or even the humans themselves, hence someone's nature to be called such. Nature does not always remain as such, as in the world nature can be destroyed and taken over by humans while human nature can be affected by the demands of human society.
The average adult human body is composed of 35 liters of water, 25 kilograms of carbon, 4 liters of ammonia, 1.5 kilograms of lime, 800 grams of phosphorous, 250 grams of salt, 100 grams of saltpeter, 80 grams of sulphur, 75 grams of fluorine, 5 grams of iron, 3 grams of silicon, and a little bit of 15 other elements. These elements are cheap enough to be bought with the average child's allowance. These do not change, yet even if these elements are combined precisely and in the right amounts to build a person, the finished body will not be alive. This is because the body is missing the one expensive element, the element that cannot be detected even with today's most advanced scientific means. This element is the soul, which has a value greater than any other object in existence.
God, Christianity's creator of all, is the one entity that can defy all natural laws, can assemble a human body, soul and all, and can effect nature without destroying it. God has the ability to create or destroy anything at will but rarely excercises this ability to avoid damaging the earth or its inhabitants in a profound way or alter their natures.
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