The Religion of Man (Hibbert Lectures 1930)

At last, when the Spirit of Life found her form in Man, the effort she had begun completed its cycle, and the truth of her mission glimmered into suggestions which dimly pointed to some direction THE CREATIVE SPIRIT of meaning across her own frontier. Before the end of this cycle was reached, all the suggestions had been external. They were concerned with technique, with life’s apparatus, with the efficiency of the organs. This might have exaggerated itself into an endless boredom of physical progress. It can be conceded that the eyes of the bee possessing numerous facets may have some uncommon advan- tage which we cannot even imagine, or the glow- worm that carries an arrangement for producing light in its person may baffle our capacity and com- prehension. Very likely there are creatures having certain organs that give them sensibilities which we cannot have the power to guess. All such enhanced sensory powers merely add to the mileage in life’s journey on the same road lengthening an indefinite distance. They never take us over the border of physical existence. The same thing may be said not only about life’s efficiency, but also life’s ornaments. The colouring and decorative patterns on the bodies of some of the deep sea creatures make us silent with amaze- ment. The butterfly’s wings, the beetle’s back, the peacock’s plumes, the shells of the crustaceans, the exuberant outbreak of decoration in plant life, have reached a standard of perfection that seems to be final. And yet if it continues in the same physical direction, then, however much variety of surprising excellence it may produce, it leaves out THE RELIGION OP MAN