Oversoul World Ministries
Nature and the Biosphere
"Nature is the garment of God; it is that in which He appears and wherein He is veiled, so that we can look upon Him in His
vestured aspect; but it is not the body of God, it is the symbol and manifestation of the divine presence. It is that which He
took upon Himself for the purpose of appearing." A. E. Waite
As an environmentally concerned organization, the Oversoul has always been deeply committed to the "Laws of Natue" and "Nature's God" as referenced in the Declaration of Independence.
In his essary "Nature" Emerson points to nature as a catalyst to understand the unknowns of life. As Emerson said, "Nature in its ministry to man, is not only the material, but also the process and the result." No longer is knowledge something blessed upon the few but knowledge is out there waiting to be understood. Man is born with the resources in God's gift of Nature to help him see certain truths. There are answers in the sunset, rivers, fields, and everything else on earth.
Emerson was fascinated with Nature. He was ever conscious of the beauty, simplicity and grace of those things which the Creator had bestowed upon the creatures of planet Earth. Emerson expanded on the beauty of nature and the need for every person to protect the environment.
Emerson perceived the connection between Nature and the individual human soul. Nature is something to be viewed in a religious light. It enters one's mind and enlightens it and is always there for the next philosopher who seeks knowledge. Trust your own thoughts and convictions because being different is good, being different is what makes it possible to be great.
Emerson loved every moment of nature from sunrise to sunrise; from the fiery orb's first dance on the leafless branches of trees to the rainbow reflection cast with the help of a dew drop; to the flickering spots of light in the black sky, totally inaccessible to mankind.
Not only did Emerson recognize the spiritual benefit of communing with Nature but Nature was an integral part of our culture and society. Nature, in its ministry to humankind, is not only the material, but is also the process and the result. All the parts incessantly work into each others hands for the benefit of mankind. The wind sows the seed; the sun evaporates the sea; the wind blows the vapor to the field; the ice, on the other side of the planet, condenses rain; the rain feeds the plant; the plant feeds the animal, and thus the endless circulations of the divine charity nourish humankind.
The lover of Nature is a person whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of adulthood. Each person's intercourse with heaven and earth, becomes part of their daily food.
Modern society seems to have taken the respect of Nature out of business; as evidenced with our insatiable desire for consumerism, clear cutting forests, polluting our lakes, rivers and streams. Man and his inventions have blackened our skies with poisonous gases (smog) and desroyed the ozone layer with byproducts of our usage. Our sacred land has been defiled with the garbage and discards of its citizens. Our aquifers have been contaminated with seepage which deforms the young and creates cancers in the elderly.
Today, many seem to take Nature for granted. How many of us take the time to stop and appreciate the meadowlark's morning melody or the tranquil music of a light breeze whispering through the leaves of a tree? Those of us who appreciate and recognize the fragile interrelationship between all things, must be ever vigilant that we do not find Rachael Carson' prophecy, SILENT SPRING, fulfilled.
"Love of Nature" is expressed primarily in ethical rather than in mystical or quasi mystical terms. Oversoul ethics focuses on how to live meaningful lives as well as the individual relationship with the natureal order - an order of which others are a part.
"Inter-dependence - the mutual dependence of all life processes on one another - is the nature of all ecological relationships.
The behavior of every living member of the ecosystem depends on the behavior of many others. The success of the whole
community depends on the success of its individual members, while the success of each member depends on the success
of the community as a whole." Fritjof Capra
Protecting our environment (biosphere) for generations to come is the act of stewardship. TThe Oversoul embraces the personal beliefs of its membership as inalienable rights and at the same time gives the member the education, doctrines and personal guidance to become a good steward of the gifts of Nature, reflecting upon these wonderful gifts in private commune with the Creator in Nature. Thus, the Oversoul Association promotes the stewardship of this planet Earth, as well as the individual rights of each of the Creator's creation.
