The Wuhan Virus And The Sublime
As I contemplate the Wuhan Virus that rages across the globe, a severe winter storm rages across the New England coast. As strange as it may seem, I came to realize that both of these pathogens are manifestations of natural law. Both are as much a part of nature as a beautiful sunrise or a glistening rainbow. The storm and the virus have no animus toward us. They harbor no malice and, when done, will “feel” no remorse. Though both seem like malevolent daemons, they, like the rest of nature, simply follow the dictates of natural law. And, we mustn’t forget that in addition to the havoc they wreak, these daemons are, amazingly, essential to us. Storms, of course, provide the rain that our thirsty continents need and viruses provide the genetic reassortment that evolution needs and that has made us what we are.
As I watch the wind whip the white caps into spindrift and as my house shakes as if in an earthquake, I can’t help but feel how vulnerable we humans are in the face of forces so gigantic, be they storms or viral pandemics.
The romantic artists, poets and philosophers of the second half of the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth century captured this realization well. As noted in Wikipedia:
Romanticism was an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850.
One of the central tenets of romanticism was an appreciation of the “sublime.” Although now days we generally think of sublime in a positive sense, the more basic definition of the word hovers on the evocation of strong emotion. The Tate Gallery of Art further explains the concept and links it with the philosopher Edmund Burke:
Edmund Burke’s Philosophical Enquiry (1757) connected the sublime with experiences of awe, terror and danger. Burke saw nature as the most sublime object, capable of generating the strongest sensations in its beholders. This Romantic conception of the sublime proved influential for several generations of artists.
Whether we are of a romantic temperament or not, all of us, ultimately, stand in thrall to the immensity of nature. And we are reminded, at such times, that nature cares not bit for us humans. No matter how grandiose our achievements and no matter how lofty our goals, we are inconsequential to the laws of nature. All of us must stand humbly in front of such a colossus.
So, the reader may ask, does this realization drive us to nihilism or fatalism? The answer is an emphatic NO. Nature cares not for us – but our Creator does. As a consequence, although nature is uncaring, WE care. Our creator has imbued in us the drive to care for one another and the intellectual power to do so meaningfully. So, with the help of our Lord, we will stand against the thoughtless hand of nature. We will guard against the storm and fight against the plague. Like our Lord, WE care.