Mr. matthews' living room was filled with paintings, photographs, and knickknacks from the philippines. he had never been to the philippines and couldn't explain to visitors the reason why he was so fascinated with the place.

The proper word to fill in this blank would be "strangely." Since the two sentences are negatively related, we're looking for a word that shows such a relation. "Strangely" fits this since it shows that the second concept, while related to the first, is at odds with the first's premise.

1.  go out into nature and commune with the divine2.  experience real solitude to truly perceive nature3.  realize that individuals are meant to learn from nature and transcend it4.  think of nature as a symbol of the divine