The Sublimity of the Soul

Wordsworth was bummed because he couldn’t retrieve the “something more” he longed for. He was quite clear about longing for the transcendent experiences of the past (think of his poetry as an 18th century country song). He describes the transcendence of the soul in Tintern Abbey, lines 45-49:

Almost suspended, we are laid asleep
in body, and become a living soul:

While with an eye mad quiet by the power

of harmony, and the deep power of joy,

we see into the life of things.

I can’t help but notice that this longing for something beyond ourselves is alive in modern society as well. Regardless of the generation, we never seem to be quite satisfied with the current state of affairs in society. But I submit that it’s not the affairs of society that we are dissatisfied with, but the affairs of the soul.

So then, if our souls don’t fit in society, then what do we do with our souls? I believe this is what Jefferson was referring to when he edited the Declaration from “property” to “the pursuit of happiness.” We cannot just submit ourselves to “the heavy and the weary weight of all this unintelligible world” (Tintern Abbey, lines 37-39), without acknowledging that our souls aren’t satisfied. So again, I reiterate - what do we do with our souls?

Well, for one, we create. Whether it’s art, or music, or even a new expression of faith. Though this overflow of creativity can make us feel better for a little while, it is often an end within itself. In order to truly reconcile these distorted souls of ours, we have to get to the source.

The still, sad music of humanity,

Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power

To chasten and subdue. And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean and the living air,

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;

A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things (Tintern Abbey, lines 89-99).

Wordsworth said it himself: it’s not a created thing, but a presence that disturbs the complacent longing of our souls.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

We are longing for an escape that has already been provided through divinity revealed to us by the one who wrote it on our hearts.

“For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Divinity is not holding back. In fact, He is relentlessly pursuing us through - not apart from - this desire for divinity engrained so deep within us. Even though college is intended to enrich our souls through the search for knowledge, we must remember that without the fear of the Lord, it’s not enough. So, escape. Take some time to get out from the routine of reason and go soak in some sublimity.

Wordsworth was so close to the answer ...

"My soul will be satisfied with seeing your likeness . . . " (Psalm 17:15).

Soli Deo Gloria.