Kelsey Garegnani -The unsettling of america

"Seeking enlightenment or the Promised Land or the way home, a man would go or be forced to go into the wilderness, measure himself against the Creation, recognize finally his true place within it, and thus be saved both from pride and from despair."

The author in this chapter is touching on the idea that man insignificant within the majesty of creation and being so small has no power.  Nature through its power, humbles us in the despair of understanding our insignificance.  But nature at the same time also enlightens us and gives us hope because it is only through this despair and nothingness we can humble ourselves enough to recognize God as the only true power and savior from our own weakness.   This is why wilderness is considered a sacred place and an axis mundi, because its the ideal place for divine interactions.  For as i mentioned earlier it is in the wilderness that man can be at a place where he is approachable by God.  Not because God cannot approach us anywhere but for us to be open to a divine message we must be at a place where we know we are nothing humbles can by humble in his presence.