The human world lives in a sinful state.
And in fact all "the creature was made
subject to vanity, no willingly, but by reason of him (man) who hath subjected
the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the
bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom.
8:20-21).
But God’s mercy, goodness, love, charity, and love
of man have no boundaries. Nor in the Word of God, nor in the faith of the
Orthodox Church is there even a hint of some collective, unifying, and at the
same time individual, "soul of the world." "Every soul, every
breathing being, is enlivened (given life) by the Holy Spirit." The 50th
psalm, a product of the Old Testament, the perpetual companion of Christian
prayer, witnesses the eternal faith in the Holy Spirit of God, present in the
world and the believer: "Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take
not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and
uphold me with Thy free spirit." — we pray
with the words of this psalm.
The author of the book "The Wisdom of
Solomon" thus confesses his faith: And Thy counsel (God)
who hath known, except Thou give wisdom, and send Thy Holy Spirit from above? (9:17)
Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and
the spirit of wisdom came to me… (7:7) For wisdom, which is the
worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit holy,
one only, manifold, (not like "spirit" — creation, but like
the "breath of the power of God," like reflection of eternal light
and the pure mirror of God’s actions and the image of His grace — pages 25-26),
subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing
that is good quick, which cannot be letted, ready to do good, Kind to man,
steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and
going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits." "And thy counsel who hath known, except thou give wisdom, and
send thy Holy Spirit from above?" (Wisdom of Solomon, 7:21-23; 9:17) "For thine incorruptible Spirit is in all
things" (Wisdom of Solomon, 12:1).
Protecting themselves and their nation from
diabolic polytheistic ideas, the spiritual leaders of the Hebrew nation firmly
kept to the ideas of monotheism. But even in the Old Testament the idea of a
mystical Existence of the Word in the Father, the notion of the Holy Spirit, as
well as the idea of the Trinity, appeared among the chosen people.
Wisdom is inherent in all the three Facets of the
Most Holy Trinity. Christianity preaches "Christ — God’s Power and
Wisdom." But wisdom is contemplated in the Holy Spirit as the life-giving,
eternally acting power in the world and as the source of Godly grace and
holiness.
There is no difference as to which grammatical
gender is used to express the notions of Christian faith. It only has to do
with the characteristics of one language or another. For example, the word
"Spirit" in Greek is in the neuter gender. And in Russian, all
"qualitative" nouns, not related to concrete objects, are expressed
in the feminine.
The Old Testament author of the "Wisdom of
Solomon," as he himself witnessed, loved the wisdom emanating from the
Holy Spirit, "more than health and beauty" (7:10). Why should not we,
the members of Christ’s Church, recognize the Holy Spirit as the universal
Source of life: "for from the glorious beauty of the creations their
Creator becomes known through comparison" (13:1-5).
The Orthodox Church service is filled with the glorification of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit in one Essence. It is found in the
concluding exclamation of every litany, in the conclusion of nearly every
prayer. All the Mysteries of the Church are performed by the power of the Holy
Spirit. We begin all our prayers by addressing the Holy Spirit. Immediately upon
baptism we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. The Church sings the
life-giving power of the Holy Spirit in special short hymns in the Sunday
matins, part of the all-night vigil, in the so-called anabathmoi antiphons.
"By the Holy Spirit hath all holiness and wisdom been observed…" —
"Verily, glory and honor become the Holy Spirit," "Verily, all
the richness of honor is of the Holy Spirit. And of Him too is grace and life
for all creation. Wherefore, He is to be praised…" "Verily, all
creation together is regenerated by the Holy Spirit," "Verily, by the
Holy Spirit every divine one seeth and uttereth things to be, and performeth
heavenly wonders," Verily, in the Holy Spirit all shall live,"
"Verily, the Holy Spirit doth overflow with streams and passages of grace,
and doth water all creation with refreshing life," "In the Holy
Spirit is the fountain of divine treasures; for from Him cometh wisdom, awe and
understanding." "By the Holy Spirit are all creations seen and unseen
preserved, for He is the Creator of all the essence of creation," "in
Him doth all creation live and move," — "for through Him doth every
living thing breathe," "Verily, through the Holy Spirit is everyone
made divine; and in Him is pleasure, understanding, safety, and blessing,"
"Verily, the Holy Spirit hath might over all; for Him do all the heavenly
hosts worship, and every breath below." "In the Holy Spirit is the
fountain of divine treasures; for from Him cometh wisdom, awe, and
understanding. To Him, therefore, be praise, glory,
might, and honor." "By the abundance of gifts, the
richness of glory, and depth of the great ordinances." —
"Verily, the Holy Spirit is the Cause of all, and containeth in Himself
the harmony of safety. And the Spirit, who is their equal in appearance and on
the throne, hath shone from the Father likewise."
There is no gap! There is no place for a
"world soul!"
The Church teaches us this world view. The Church
lives in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit presides in it. The Church’s
prayerful thoughts about the Spirit are constructed in such a way that we could
comprehend this constant presence of the Spirit in the believers and among the
believers. We always ask for a renewal of His nearness to us.
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