Preparing for Rain

The News

By Chris Anyokwu

There are some ancient cultures which hold that rain is the cosmic semen that fertilizes the womb of the earth.  Chinua Achebe hints at this mythological explanation of the nature of nature when in Things Fall Apart he narrates how the rain moistens the earth in preparation for the planting season in Umuofia (read: Africa).  The cyclical rhythm of rain and drought simply under girds life; it guarantees what in literature is known as the myth of Eternal Return. 

This is the alternating pattern of plenty vis-à-vis a period of lack, of famine and echoing emptiness.  To be sure, Israel of Biblical times experienced this cosmic see-saw, this ebb-tide of plentifulness and harrowing spell of hunger and thirst brought about by the lack of rain.  

Thus, after a period of prayer, the national prophet of Israel had announced to a searingly parched land that he could hear the sound of abundance of rain.  He had instructed the king and his subjects to prepare for rain, for showers of blessing.  And true to his word, Heaven came down and the Earth fructified again.  It is common knowledge that rain – or water – is the source of life.

The cyclical rhythm of rain and drought simply under girds life; it guarantees what in literature is known as the myth of Eternal Return.

Water constitutes 70˚ of earth’s surface.   Without water, life on earth cannot exist.  It is a natural impossibility.  Thales of Miletus (born: c. 626/623BC) is generally referred to as the philosopher of water.  He is recognised for breaking from the use of mythology to explain the world and the universe, and instead explaining natural objects and phenomena by naturalistic theories and hypotheses.