Why Are We So Fascinated With Nature?

        Our discussion of nature and the non-human animals has been interesting and has raised important questions. The question that I’ve posed about humanity being so fascinated with nature is one that makes the assumption that all people are fascinated with it. I would argue that while everyone wouldn’t claim to be nature lovers on the surface, our lifestyles point towards some strong interest and connection with nature. What is nature?  Why are we so fascinated? Do we have responsibility to stewardship of nature? According to Emerson’s writings, nature is beyond the ‘things that cannot be changed’ like rivers, leaves, clouds, and so on, he implies that humans are nature. George’s writings go far enough to explicitly open the essay by noting that humans are animals.   Baraka, a striking 1992 film, is a clear illustration of all that constitutes nature. This film is over an hour long collection of footage of various people, places, and things from around the world with no narration. The inspiration, production, and success of this Baraka are evidence of our fascination, or at least my fascination, with the beauty, oddity, and  mystery of nature. (Even if not the entire documentary, I would encourage all to sit and observe some of the captivating footage in this film.)

       It wasn’t difficult for me to watch different scenes of movement or stillness of nature, from people walking, meditating, or staring into the distance, to waves crashing or the footage of the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. Although there was no main story, I had many thoughts and stories in my mind throughout my time watching Baraka. I’m obviously fascinated with people, places, and things. Why? The activity of the waters are the same yet it’s so unpredictable – the looks in the eyes of different people are so familiar, yet is full of meaning other than what I have access to. People, places, and things that make up nature are intriguing because it’s ordinary in the sense that some things become quite familiar, but none of these things are usually completely figured out. “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile…The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible;” Emerson’s words resonate with me. I think that we admire the stars, trees, and oceans because they just are constant at survival and  they are beautiful (to some). I think we uplift them because we can’t quite know or access them completely. The same is true for how some humans may see other humans.  Other humans are intriguing to us because, in some ways, they are inaccessible and not completely understood by us despite our familiarity.

           If one agrees that we are nature, then determining whether we are stewards of the earth (and therefore nature) is more obvious. Yes, in more ways than one. Following the Christian tradition leads one to adopt the idea that we have power and are to take care of and sustain the earth. The acceptance that we are nature might lead anyone, despite their beliefs, to assume that we have some responsibility of it, since that responsibility would include taking care of our own selves.

   While watching Baraka, I noticed that: (1) Nature's beauty is one that speaks for itself. (2)People are naturally stewards of nature. I noticed this when viewing a shot of a woman sweeping dust off the side of the road. This was not a forced action.  (3)Nature is a part of (our) spirituality, from using incense during meditation, to praying on the ground, to performing certain rituals in community with others. (4) Routine, responsibility, and relationship is nature. People and even the natural elements like water have routine activity. People assume responsibility to care for earth’s natural elements and earth natural elements fulfill the responsibility of serving as some resource for people. People are in connection with one another and to the non-made made earth elements.
                                                               

    Baraka, the title of this film, is defined as a blessing that is regarded in various Eastern religions as an indwelling spiritual force and divine gift inhering in saints, charismatic leaders, and natural objects.  The people, places, and things in this film evoked emotion and needed no narrator to bring it meaning – they possess a silent captivating force. Why was I was so captivated by Baraka? Even if we don’t consider ourselves nature people (which I usually don’t), we still might find ourselves fascinated , at some point and in some way, with the existence, activity, and influence of people, places, and things. In my opinion, we are fascinated because we are nature. We have responsibility to nature because we have responsibility to ourselves. And we are so familiar with people, places, and things, yet the inaccessibility of them make them intriguing.  

Are we nature? Does that make us stewards of the earth?