Levitan painted this landscape of the Istra River when he was 26 years old. How calming: the winding river moving along slowly. Perhaps it is late spring or early summer, the snow and the shadows are gone, the earth is alive and all-green. Seeing the river from a distance, we seem to be standing on a rise some distance away.
The Istra River is a 70 mile tributary that flows into the Moscova River. Even the choice of this secondary river as a painting subject tells us something about Levitan's curiosity and powers of observation and respect. This spot where he's standing is no tourist trap where souvenirs, food and cruises are peddled. Indeed, as is usual in Levitan's paintings, there are no people in sight. But you are there, and that's all that matters.
I want to discover the loveliness of out-of-the-way places, where perhaps no person has ever stood before. This spot feels quiet - I might say, eternally quiet, inviting me to have my un-censured thoughts. It's said that Russian rivers are slow and meandering. Maybe the river with its reflective edges and soft sky above is saying, "For heaven's sake, slow down."
But I'm also thinking that regulations have been recently rolled back that protect our own nation's rivers and streams. It's no longer required to safeguard the water from coal mine runoff and coal waste dumping. What's wrong with us? We've discovered with alarm that the water of Flint, Michigan is poisoning the little children causing birth defects and sickness. The care of rivers and streams is a pro-life issue!
The three boys in the Book of the Prophet Daniel who sang their canticle from the fiery furnace teach us: Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas and streams. We've lost our spiritual vision when we neglect the care of water - which is essentially what we're made of and was used for our baptism. I'd add, that to leave the streams, rivers, seas and oceans so vulnerable, is to insult God who gave them to us as life-source. A God-insult is called blasphemy. I don't even like the sound of that word.
The Istra River is a 70 mile tributary that flows into the Moscova River. Even the choice of this secondary river as a painting subject tells us something about Levitan's curiosity and powers of observation and respect. This spot where he's standing is no tourist trap where souvenirs, food and cruises are peddled. Indeed, as is usual in Levitan's paintings, there are no people in sight. But you are there, and that's all that matters.
I want to discover the loveliness of out-of-the-way places, where perhaps no person has ever stood before. This spot feels quiet - I might say, eternally quiet, inviting me to have my un-censured thoughts. It's said that Russian rivers are slow and meandering. Maybe the river with its reflective edges and soft sky above is saying, "For heaven's sake, slow down."
But I'm also thinking that regulations have been recently rolled back that protect our own nation's rivers and streams. It's no longer required to safeguard the water from coal mine runoff and coal waste dumping. What's wrong with us? We've discovered with alarm that the water of Flint, Michigan is poisoning the little children causing birth defects and sickness. The care of rivers and streams is a pro-life issue!
The three boys in the Book of the Prophet Daniel who sang their canticle from the fiery furnace teach us: Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas and streams. We've lost our spiritual vision when we neglect the care of water - which is essentially what we're made of and was used for our baptism. I'd add, that to leave the streams, rivers, seas and oceans so vulnerable, is to insult God who gave them to us as life-source. A God-insult is called blasphemy. I don't even like the sound of that word.
