Earth is the heaviest of all four elements. It is an element of stability and fruitfulness.

The Bible often talks about earth yielding its fruits to sustain human life. This fact inspired James Dillet Freeman to exclaim: "O the teeming, fruitful earth, the productive earth! I too would be productive. I would bring forth living thoughts as the earth brings forth living forms, original, useful, beautiful. I would make things beautiful as earth makes things beautiful".

Earth is the basis for all constructions - we cannot build anything permanent without it being the foundation. So, earth also speaks of practical-mindedness.

Some people portray Jesus as an idealist who disregarded life's realities. This is a mistake. All powers which human beings have, symbolized by four elements, were perfectly balanced in Him. Yes, He was a dreamer. The Master dreamed big. He spoke of greatness and inspired His listeners to think great thoughts and to live great lives. In the Sermon on the Mount He outlined divine principles of life - yet He clearly saw that it will take a long evolutionary process before these ideas be realized.

However, some practical-minded people are subject to what Nietzsche called "the spirit of gravity", or "the spirit of heaviness". They lack wings. They lack imagination and inspiration. They lack passion. They won't move a finger unless they are sure it would bring them some profit.

Yet our best actions are often spontaneous and intuitive, the ones which are not motivated by reason. As we follow divine urges, we discover new beauty and meaning. Unexpected encounters happen to us, and our life is enriched. It is good to be orderly and organized - but to be open and flexible as well. If we are too busy to follow our schedule, we may miss that which gives true significance to all our work.

After all, life is not to be used - it is to be lived and enjoyed. Our true profit is not in particular things, but in harmonious movement along with all-providing Life, along with God. Apart from the great Spirit of Life, we plan and we toil in vain.

On another hand, some people are too airy. They float around like wind. They talk about freedom and inspiration. They are lighthearted, and their company is refreshing. Yet their inability to do systematic work, to commit themselves to a particular task and follow it through, speaks of their shallowness.

It is not enough for us to talk about creativity - it is much better to create something, and then let our results talk for themselves. Inspiration is meant to help us to live, and to live abundantly. Our freedom is never separate from our responsibility to use it in constructive ways.

Air is important, like other elements, but it is never meant to be the end of itself. Balanced life is the one which gives a due place to each element of our nature, the one where nothing is excluded. The goal of spiritual life is all-round development; and in the process of our unfoldment we freely may use all symbols which help us to know and to express ourselves better. "All is ours".