Response #2: Nature

Our involvement with nature is something that I think is greatly important to our developement as whole people. I owe this view in part to the fact that I have lived in what can be called two different world's. As a child in Zimbabwe and whenever I go back, nature is something that we exist as a part of. There is a cycle to life and we are as responsible for the ecosystems well being as the ants are. At least in the rural areas of Zimbabwe this is true. Much of our existence is owed to nature, my grandmother who still lives in a mud hut, has never had to rely on outside sources for her food and water. She has always raised her own crops, retrieved water from the river and made clothes from sheeps wool or goat skins. The danger of technology is that it inspires self-idolization, we become very much amazed by what we have created and forget for the most part that our ability to do so comes from things already existing within nature.

     There are forces outside us that are much more powerful, and amazing. If we are to ever gain some understand of the brilliant design that is nature we must spend time in nature. People learned to domesticate animals, by watching them, and what they respond to and in someways befriending.  We must be aware that we are a part of nature and that we are no more or less important in, forgive the cliché, circle of life. Spiritually speaking it humbles people and tames the sort of greed that seems to be growing ever larger in our generation. If we focus more on what we do have, then we can be somewhat happy with not having very much.