Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
John Muir's quote is reminiscent of the role the environment of a man plays in getting his or her character built up.
In the account of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-20 we see one person (Abraham) praying for Lot, Lot despite his righteous standing ending up producing children with his daughters. The citizens of the Sodom and Gomorrah became casualties. So were the case with Lot's wife as well as his two son-in-laws.
Sodom and Gomorrah were well watered. It looked like the Garden of Eden. So upon breaking up with Abram, Lot moved towards the city. Sooner than later he ended up living there. Having lived in the wicked environment, he and his family members fell victim to the environment.
If you secure a noble environment, a man of noble character will come out. Knowing the significance of environment, it is said the mother of Meng Tzu (or Mengzi, or Mencious) of ancient China moved three times looking for the best environment for her son's best education.
Then one might say, "You are kidding. We are living in the electronic age. Everyone carries smart phones. Do you mean that we should all escape to a deep mountain, live like a monk?"
But we must remember that in the day of John Muir (1838-1914) they did not have gadgets like cars, smart phones, TV's or Internet. Yet he said, "...break clear away once in a while..." [not all the time.] And we cannot live like an escapist. Further in case of Adam and Eve they did not have Internet, nor smart phones. Yet, they sinned.
This then makes us ask: What are the barometers of a good environment for good character building?
But we must remember that in the day of John Muir (1838-1914) they did not have gadgets like cars, smart phones, TV's or Internet. Yet he said, "...break clear away once in a while..." [not all the time.] And we cannot live like an escapist. Further in case of Adam and Eve they did not have Internet, nor smart phones. Yet, they sinned.
This then makes us ask: What are the barometers of a good environment for good character building?
There are several factors to consider:
* What has already gone in you?
* What further goes in a man?
* What is one after?
* Time (of exposure) factor
* People you associate with
* Components of the environment, that is, spiritual, ethical, moral, and physical, or
* Is there an environment which is inherently and perpetually good or bad?
In case of Abraham, prior to himself helping Lot pulled out of the sin city, he himself became loose, so the Lord had to appear to him and said, "Walk before me, and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1)
when Jesus came he too saw that bad environment produces bad character so he said to his disciples:
"Good tree makes good fruit; bad tree bad fruit" or "Make your tree good, and naturally good fruit will come out." And "Watch out for the yeast (i.e., hypocrites like the Pharisees and Teachers of law of his day)."
The question then becomes, " What is good, what is bad?"
Jesus answers: "No one is good except God alone." And to John he said, "God the Father and I are one."
Later the Apostle Paul said straightforwardly, "Fix your eyes and thoughts on Jesus."
Further he said, "Bad company corrupts good character."
Then the Apostle John his contemporary went on to the point of saying, "Do not love the world or anything in the world, for the love for the Father is not in them", testifying that there is no such thing as a "good" environment in this world. Thus he said in regard to the good environment, "Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son", and he invites all to this fellowship, so all who come to this fellowship would have joy that is complete.
One word: walk before me and be blameless
* What has already gone in you?
* What further goes in a man?
* What is one after?
* Time (of exposure) factor
* People you associate with
* Components of the environment, that is, spiritual, ethical, moral, and physical, or
* Is there an environment which is inherently and perpetually good or bad?
In case of Abraham, prior to himself helping Lot pulled out of the sin city, he himself became loose, so the Lord had to appear to him and said, "Walk before me, and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1)
when Jesus came he too saw that bad environment produces bad character so he said to his disciples:
"Good tree makes good fruit; bad tree bad fruit" or "Make your tree good, and naturally good fruit will come out." And "Watch out for the yeast (i.e., hypocrites like the Pharisees and Teachers of law of his day)."
The question then becomes, " What is good, what is bad?"
Jesus answers: "No one is good except God alone." And to John he said, "God the Father and I are one."
Later the Apostle Paul said straightforwardly, "Fix your eyes and thoughts on Jesus."
Further he said, "Bad company corrupts good character."
Then the Apostle John his contemporary went on to the point of saying, "Do not love the world or anything in the world, for the love for the Father is not in them", testifying that there is no such thing as a "good" environment in this world. Thus he said in regard to the good environment, "Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son", and he invites all to this fellowship, so all who come to this fellowship would have joy that is complete.
One word: walk before me and be blameless
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