Independence Day

On the 6th of December it is the Independence Day of Finland, the 90th one this year (2007). Former generations fought for it, so it is a matter of great respect and pride. Today we have top education, good health care and social security for all, and Finland is known for high technology (NOKIA for instance). But here in this writing I will examine some spiritual aspects as revealed by Pekka Ervast.

After his trip to America, Pekka Ervast's novel "Suuri seikkailu" - The Great Adventure, which he called his "swan song", was to be his last book because he suddenly died at the age of 58 in the year 1934. He had told he was going to travel next to Egypt and the holy land, and that's what he did! Spiritually speaking.
In this novel a main character dr. Kotka ("Eagle") also goes to America and there he meets Professor Batory and Duke Carignan in a luxurious castle. During the night he is lead to mysterious ceremony on another level of existence.
..."Professor said in solemnly sonorious voice: - Brothers, our work is coming to a new phase. We have to help the Christendom of Europe and we start from the North because there is a country, from where the light will come. There are several members of the Brotherhood, and today we have one of them as our guest, whom now will help us by creating the living map of his country before us. Brothers, call forth the spirits you govern to assist, and bless Finland.
First of all, inspire with peace and good will the heart of its nation, even though its individuals are awakened and thinking, they are not unanimous in any issue. The Church and religion still capture many souls, yet we hope the reformation could begin. When Professor had said these words, everybody straightened up while sitting, and closed their eyes. I did the same, and invoking the map of my country to the sight of my soul, I started to enliven it and mark with red roses a few towns and villages where I knew the friends of reformation lived in. Then I listened and watched how the waves of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland rippled against the shores in a sun shine, how trains were speeding through the forrests and steamboats crossing the lakes. People were walking in the streets of the cities, working in the factories and offices, fields and roads, while children were playing in the yards and lawns, and mothers worked at homes. Everything was alive before me.
Then suddenly I heard distant choir and from the North came through the air countless number of angelic and spiritual beings, who slowly glided above all Finland, and small fairies sprinkled pink roses all over. Then the angels organised along the shores and borders facing inland and in the middle appeared suddenly the wonderful guardian angel of Finland, gliding in the North side of Päijänne. It was old and wise Väinämöinen, but when all angels greeted him, he turned from old to young and his face full of sorrow and concern was brightened to look happy and joyful. He gave thanks smiling blissfully and tears dropped from his eyes. Thousands of fairies were rushing to collect the tears and brought them - Oh wonder! - to the red roses I had created and layed them on the petals as the bright dewdrops.
The circle of Light surrounding Väinämöinen was increasingly expanding, colored as the dome of heaven, and his heart was singing with mighty faith and trust. I thought I heard the words: 'My high friends, come from heavens, what misery I could have, a cause for sorrow in my soul, when there are thousands of you friends from above to support me, to help me in agony. I see the time opening up, the long day peeking - then there is summer in my Finland, forever happiness for people, peace on earth worth a gold, good will in hearts, all men givin' praise to the mighty Heavenly Father.' While watching and listening to all this, my own heart was also full of prayer and thanksgiving. Eventually, I felt weakening, my vision got blurry, the map of Finland was covered with fog, angels and Väinämöinen disappeared, the singing ceased to resound and I myself collapsed unconscious."

In his book The Key to the Kalevala (available in English; following is however my translation), Pekka Ervast describes how...
"Väinämöinen represents the spirit and soul of Finnish nation, our so called national spirit. He personifies, as we just said, the deepest endeavor, the deepest faith, and the deepest love of our nation. But it means something else too. It means that Väinämöinen as a "pagan" deity is not dead but alive, and representing the national spirit of Finland he is not merely a poetic fantasy but the living personal reality." [...]
"Now the reader must not shout, 'Is an old pagan Väinämöinen supposed to be our guardian angel, is he come back, is he taking the place of Christ!' Who shouts like that has not understood us at all. Väinämöinen is not 'pagan' or 'Christian' more than Christ himself. Väinämöinen as our national deva is a living secret reality, and if we mean by Christ for instance the Logos, Väinämöinen is of course his servant. And if we mean that great initiate who as a person of Jesus walked on earth a couple of thousands of years ago, he is - the Christ - completely different being than Väinämöinen as a national deva, who doesn't belong to our human race at all, and his work is in no way contradicted to influence of Väinämöinen manifested in the unique development of Finnish nation. In the reality of life, in the development of nations and individual, there is no question of this or that 'faith'. There all religions and world views are sisters, leafs and branches in the same tree of wisdom of life; we are only asked how is each individual and nation, and what does each one do."

In 1917 when Finland became independent (which Pekka Ervast foresaw), he wrote: "In Finland we have a lot to learn from war and revolution. Now it has come the day of our freedom and independence, now at the same time it has come the day of our national and international resbonsibility. Now the world will watch how we can manage to organize our conditions. Can we do so that our action will benefit the world? Can we be an example and model for the nations, which have fallen to pain and hopelesness, which have seen all old vanishing and now with all yearning of their soul long for something new - new life, new society, new people? Destiny provides us an opportunity - are we not as a nation of Finland to use it?
'Oh You, the Father and God of the worlds, help us at this our work for the coming of your kingdom!' Because 'the Kingdom of God' on earth would be the real state!
First of all, we have to beware that our joy for the gift and sign of the destiny won't overflow: Our joy musn't raise in us a wrong self-esteem and pride. We must not think that this is only about our independence, freedom, and happiness; that we don't need to care for the rest of the world, and first of all, that we don't need to care for the great ideals and ideas of the time. Then we would perish!
If we wanted to isolate from the rest of the world, if we selfishly seeked only for our own imagenary happiness and wellfare, if we were deaf to persuading suggestions of God in our spirit and heart, then who would guarantee that the hand of destiny would not take back that gift, the value and holiness of which we were not yet able to comprehend? Therefore, let us remember that when building the society we truly take into consideration the signs of the time, that we won't mock the ideals of the time, or close our eyes from those vast and wonderful visions that now finally after the thousands of years of battles and pain have been opened to the nations.