Scientists have sought, and they still seek, tireless and courageously, to unravel
its hidden secrets. Whimsical and, sometimes, uncontrollable, with its threatening
great waves, the sea defends its territory and the wealth of its treasures, hidden into
its depths. Historians become famous when, after tireless searching, they discover
relics of the past: fortresses, human settlements, ancient temples of deities, all
swallowed by the sea. Monuments created with an amazing artistry. . . Solid walls
and tall buildings rivaling those of the present times, built by modern means. . .
Weapons, tools and crafts of the past, ships, coins, vases and amphorae expressing
the continuity of the economic and commercial life. . .
Nowadays, the research in various fields is heading with great hope towards the
discovery and capitalization of the immense reserve of natural resources and
biological materials, which the divinity conferred by the waters of seas and oceans.
Compared to the land, the water surface represents two thirds of the entire Earth,
i.e. 361 million square kilometers, and the planetary oceans represent 98.8% of the
hydrosphere.
This huge reservoir of resources hides, in deep waters, over 8 billion tons of oil
and nearly 8,000 billion cubic meters of methane. Only under the Pacific Ocean,
there are stored over 1,650 billion tons of ore (210 billion tonnes of iron; 43 billion
tons of magnesium; 359 tons of manganese; 14.7 tons of nickel; nearly 10 billion
tons of copper), ensuring thus the humanity’s future needs of mineral resources.
The sea water contains precious metals such as silver and gold, whose exploration
and use will create an intense competition among the developed countries of the
world in the twenty-first century (Ivan Sorin 2000).
However, the greatest wealth of the sea is represented by its salt, which covers a
huge reserve of over 20 million cubic meters. The generosity of divine creation is
also reflected by the fact that the sea provides food to the human being, created by
God’s hand, ensuring nowadays 25% of the necessary proteins, from fish and other
marine animals. The peoples from the Far East procure from the sea almost 50% of
the proteins necessary for human life. Additionally, this ressource, in its infinite
vastness, also preserves huge amounts of other foods, such as plankton and seaweed. Of course, for a certain period, they will save mankind from the chronic
hunger that worsens in time, until it reaches the limit described by the Bible,
i.e. “the signs of the beginning of the end . . .” “and, at times, there will be
earthquakes, famine and plague” (The Bible, The New Testament, “The Gospel of
Matthew”).
1
“The discovery of numerous chemicals and substances with valuable therapeutic
properties in the composition of the seawater, sea plants and animals, also makes us
consider the sea as a large pharmacy” (Ivan Sorin 2000: 5). The miraculous results
1 Other signs of the beginning of the end (“of sorrows”: “The Gospel of Mark”, ch. 13, verse
8, p. 979): “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders
to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will
grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”
(“The Gospel of Matthew”, ch. 24, verse 14).
1 The Sea, Cradle of Divine Spirituality
5
its hidden secrets. Whimsical and, sometimes, uncontrollable, with its threatening
great waves, the sea defends its territory and the wealth of its treasures, hidden into
its depths. Historians become famous when, after tireless searching, they discover
relics of the past: fortresses, human settlements, ancient temples of deities, all
swallowed by the sea. Monuments created with an amazing artistry. . . Solid walls
and tall buildings rivaling those of the present times, built by modern means. . .
Weapons, tools and crafts of the past, ships, coins, vases and amphorae expressing
the continuity of the economic and commercial life. . .
Nowadays, the research in various fields is heading with great hope towards the
discovery and capitalization of the immense reserve of natural resources and
biological materials, which the divinity conferred by the waters of seas and oceans.
Compared to the land, the water surface represents two thirds of the entire Earth,
i.e. 361 million square kilometers, and the planetary oceans represent 98.8% of the
hydrosphere.
This huge reservoir of resources hides, in deep waters, over 8 billion tons of oil
and nearly 8,000 billion cubic meters of methane. Only under the Pacific Ocean,
there are stored over 1,650 billion tons of ore (210 billion tonnes of iron; 43 billion
tons of magnesium; 359 tons of manganese; 14.7 tons of nickel; nearly 10 billion
tons of copper), ensuring thus the humanity’s future needs of mineral resources.
The sea water contains precious metals such as silver and gold, whose exploration
and use will create an intense competition among the developed countries of the
world in the twenty-first century (Ivan Sorin 2000).
However, the greatest wealth of the sea is represented by its salt, which covers a
huge reserve of over 20 million cubic meters. The generosity of divine creation is
also reflected by the fact that the sea provides food to the human being, created by
God’s hand, ensuring nowadays 25% of the necessary proteins, from fish and other
marine animals. The peoples from the Far East procure from the sea almost 50% of
the proteins necessary for human life. Additionally, this ressource, in its infinite
vastness, also preserves huge amounts of other foods, such as plankton and seaweed. Of course, for a certain period, they will save mankind from the chronic
hunger that worsens in time, until it reaches the limit described by the Bible,
i.e. “the signs of the beginning of the end . . .” “and, at times, there will be
earthquakes, famine and plague” (The Bible, The New Testament, “The Gospel of
Matthew”).
1
“The discovery of numerous chemicals and substances with valuable therapeutic
properties in the composition of the seawater, sea plants and animals, also makes us
consider the sea as a large pharmacy” (Ivan Sorin 2000: 5). The miraculous results
1 Other signs of the beginning of the end (“of sorrows”: “The Gospel of Mark”, ch. 13, verse
8, p. 979): “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders
to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will
grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”
(“The Gospel of Matthew”, ch. 24, verse 14).
1 The Sea, Cradle of Divine Spirituality
5