(*Quote of the Month)
“Miracles have ceased,” he said. Said I, “Have
they indeed? When? They had not ceased this afternoon when I
walked into the wood and got into bright, miraculous sunshine in shelter from the roaring wind…”
~~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Though the 1800’s Transcendentalism movement in
American philosophy is not well-known for its pure Christian orthodoxy, nor are
its adherents, some of its members do reflect a Christian worldview. Ralph
Waldo Emerson (1803-82), the leader of the movement, certainly had a far
different spiritual theology than I, but I still deeply appreciate the spirit
behind the philosophy, and behind many of his writings as well. The above quote
was taken from his extensive journals.
At its core, Transcendentalism was a
pseudo-religious pseudo-Christian philosophy that intentionally contrasted with
Unitarian doctrine and the highfalutin’ intellectual climate that pervaded New
England at the time (1830’s ff.). And though it was not into organized religion,
it held strongly to the basic goodness of people, and even nature in general.
And from what I see in Genesis 1, where even God calls his creation very good (Genesis 1:31), that’s pretty
hard to argue against.
Better than Emerson, and certainly also in
agreement with Genesis, are the words of David the Psalmist in Psalm 139:14 – Marvelous are your works (O Lord), and that
my soul knows very well!
Indeed!
Marvelous
are your works, and
that my soul knows very well!
~~David
the Psalmist
Have a blessed weekend!
~~RGM,
June 12 2015
