By Editor HJ Yang 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 22nd of August 2025

IN THE BEGINNING: NATURE AS GOD’S CREATION
From the opening lines of Genesis to the poetic verses of the Psalms, the Bible is filled with reverence for nature. The natural world is not just a setting for human life; it is an integral part of God's artistic expression. Every tree, mountain, bird and ocean wave silently bears witness to the majesty of its Creator.

According to Scripture, nature is neither accidental nor indifferent. It is intentional. It is sacred. It is the handiwork of a loving, wise and powerful God. The biblical worldview does not present creation as raw material to be exploited, but as a living testament to God's character, beauty, order, abundance and mystery.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
— Psalm 19:1

Creation is not silent; it proclaims itself. It sings. It praises. Humanity, bearing the image of God, is not called to dominate, but to protect, to care for and to listen to.

“Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them.”
— Psalm 69:34

Stewardship of the Earth is not optional — it is sacred. When we honour nature, we honour the Creator. When we exploit or ignore nature, we desecrate something holy.

'Alaska morning glory'

ART: THE ECHO OF THE HUMAN SOUL
Who am I? Why am I here?
These fundamental questions have echoed through the human soul ever since consciousness first emerged. Art emerged as our earliest attempt to address them, not through explanations, but through expression. Art enables us to explore the boundaries of mystery, even when we cannot fully comprehend it.

From ancient cave drawings to contemporary installations, art reflects our inner world: our fears, hopes and longings. It gives form to emotion and language to silence. Art creates bridges between people, cultures and generations.

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”
— Pablo Picasso

“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts — that is the purpose of art.”
— Robert Schumann

Art is not an escape from reality; it is a return to it. It clears away the noise of modern life and reconnects us with what is real, eternal and essential. Art is a sacred echo of the divine creativity that formed the world itself.
Art is more than a product; it is a process. It is a mirror and a lamp. It is the soul speaking.
In this sense, art transcends aesthetics. It becomes moral and even prophetic, challenging us to imagine a better world and to see beyond the surface of things. Art invites us to slow down, to listen and to remember.

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY: A VISUAL COVENANT WITH NATURE
For me, nature photography is a way of listening to the world. It is not passive observation; it is an active relationship. Through my lens, I seek to enter into communion with the land, light, wildness and wonder. I capture not only what I see, but also what I feel: the rhythm of the waves, the quiet dignity of a tree and the fragile dance of light and shadow across a mountainside. For me, photography becomes a visual covenant — an act of devotion and responsibility towards the natural world.

For me, photography is more than just a craft; it's a spiritual practice. It connects me with something greater than myself. It enables me to share my vision of a sacred, intricate and living creation. Although photography is a gift of the modern age, it points to something ancient: the act of seeing with reverence. In an age of distraction and speed, taking a photograph of nature is a quiet form of rebellion. It says, 'This matters. This is worth stopping for. This must not be lost.'

In this digital age, I have found no better way to share my vision with such clarity, immediacy and authenticity. Technologies are constantly evolving, enhancing the tools of photography and offering new ways to refine my visual storytelling. Yet the essence remains unchanged: seeing, feeling, sharing and connecting with nature, others and the divine presence that pulses through all things.

“Though human ingenuity may make various inventions, it will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, more direct than does Nature; because in her inventions nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.”
— Leonardo da Vinci

Photography reminds us of the fleeting yet eternal nature of things. Once captured, a single moment becomes a window through which others can glimpse the world's glory — and perhaps, through that window, catch a reflection of the Creator. For me, each image is more than just documentation; it is a celebration of nature’s grandeur, an act of reverence and a personal expression of awe.

WHAT WE ARE LOSING
The only truth I have ever known is nature.
I listen to it and it speaks to me in a clear, universal language.
But today, we are losing that voice. We are losing our way.
We are caught up in a vast web spun by corporate conglomerates whose only goals are extraction and profit. Our ecosystems — forests, oceans, rivers and species — are under siege. Government policies often enable this destruction rather than preventing it. The environments that have shaped and sustained us are being destroyed in our lifetime.
In domesticating ourselves, we may have ignored our survival instinct. We have grown numb to what is essential, trading it for the illusions of comfort, entertainment and convenience. Now, we willingly bow to the polished, convenient but soulless beast.

This machine seems too large to fight, and it feels overwhelming. We begin to believe that we are powerless. We forget what it means to be human. We forget what is real.
We risk losing not only nature, but also ourselves.
Without nature, there is no life-giving planet.
Without art, there is no soul to interpret that life.

The nature photography community now has a sacred duty: to bear witness, to preserve and to inspire. We must help the world to see again — to see the beauty, fragility and essential nature of our planet. This is no longer a personal pursuit. It is a collective calling.

We must resist with clarity, honesty, courage and creativity.
We must not allow private algorithms to dictate our values, attention or emotions alone.
We must not allow screens to replace rivers and skies, nor clicks to substitute real personal life experience. We must not allow the illusion of infinite profit to justify the destruction of our one and only planet.

We are in danger of losing our ability to feel.
To learn.
To interpret.
To hear what only nature can teach us.
We are human.
We are of the Earth.
There is no replacement for either of us.
We are deeply and irrevocably connected to nature, and we must never let go.

ANCIENT WISDOM FOR A FUTURE IN CRISIS
The call to protect the Earth and learn from nature is not a modern concept. It resonates with the deepest wisdom of humanity.

Over two thousand years ago, the Chinese sage Laozi wrote the following in the Dao De Jing:
We are deeply and irrevocably connected to nature, and we must never let go. (道德經）

“Man follows the Earth, the Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows what is natural.”
(人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然)

This vision of harmony sees humanity as part of, rather than above, the great order of existence. In order to live rightly, we must follow the Earth, not dominate it. Nature is the best teacher. The model. The law.

And Laozi continues:

“Return to simplicity and purity—the Great Way is profoundly simple.”
(返璞归真，大道至简)

Simplicity. Humility. Harmony.
These are not outdated ideals; they are the medicine that our world is in desperate need of.
We are not the first generation to face a crisis. However, we may be the last generation with the power to change course.
The wisdom still lives on — if only we choose to remember it.
If we listen.
If we act.

IN THE END: WE STILL HAVE HOPE
Despite the chaos in our world—
real war in Europe, environmental collapse, social division, political fragmentation and the quiet colonization of our daily lives by artificial intelligence—
I remain hopeful.

“Man will not merely endure: he will prevail.”
— William Faulkner

Faulkner continued:

“The immortality is the fact that frail, fragile man—a web of bone and nerves, mostly water—in a ramshackle universe has outlasted most other forms of mammalian life. He has outlasted his own disasters, and I think that he will continue.”

Let our images and words be a light for your heart,
A cleansing for your soul,
A reminder of the sacred bond we must protect—
Between ourselves, and the Earth.

We are still here.
We can still see.
We can still feel.
And we can still act！

'Alaska highway-Glacier field in Alaska'

'Morning view'

'Good morning Patagonia'

'Greenland before sunset'

'Greenland'

'Namibia night'

'Namibia night'

'Arizona'

'Grand Canyon'

'Grand Canyon'

'Arizona'

'Antarctica'

'Antarctica'

'Only in Antarctica'

'Antarctica'

'Fiordland, New Zealand'

'Te Anau, New Zealand'

'Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil'

About Editor Huijun (HJ) Yang, Ph.D.
Dr. HJ Yang, Scientist, Businessman and Nature Photographer, has written about his photo trips around the globe and his personal view on art, science, philosophy and life experience. Some of his writings are below:

HJ Yang - Giving a voice to nature through photography
HJ Yang's Journey to Baffin Island
HJ Yang - Photography strongly connected to nature
HJ Yang's Journey: Patagonia Special Expedition
HJ Yang's Journey: Tracking polar bear cubs
HJ Yang's Journey: Emperor penguins on Snow Hill Island
HJ Yang's Journey: Jaguars and Harpy Eagles in Brazil
HJ Yang's Journey: O' Alaska!
HJ Yang's Journey: Namibia
HJ Yang's Journey: Emperor Penguins on Gould Bay

Book Huijun Yang: Wave Packets and Their Bifurcations in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Applied Mathematical Sciences, 85, Springer, New York, NY, 1991.