I wonder sometimes why we’ve been encapsulated in physical existence.
Yes, I recognize the absurdity of that statement and its apparent connections to science fiction novels. Bear with me though, because I do wonder why our Creator chose to intertwine the spiritual with the physical, and why we must use the tangible aspects of human existence to interact with others.
Sometimes I wish our bodies were gone. Maybe that sounds strange. Nope, it does sound strange, but sometimes I try to imagine what life would be like if relationships were formed from the intermingling of souls rather than interactions of physical expression. I think that’s how it was meant to be. Relationship is at the core of who God is because his very identity represents a community of persons.
The interactions of the Father, Son, and Spirit show up everywhere in Scripture. They show up in John 17 as Jesus prays to the Father asking to revel in his glory through his upcoming death. And 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us “The Spirit teaches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
Each member of the trinity seeks to be known for who they are, for within each is found majesty, and beauty, and love. Each knows that the more they look at one another, the more they delight in the other. Their relationship shows us the power of mutual enjoyment and trust.
Yet here we are as humans, made in the image of God to be a reflection of His nature in the world, but somehow I can’t escape the conclusion that our physical existence has made that impossible. Worse, it makes me wonder how often we miss the pure essence of personhood, and how often we assign a value to someone based on the formation of cells making up their physicality. It saddens me that human stake in the worth of a soul can change based on our perceptions of matter.
Maybe not in our words it doesn’t change, but in our actions it does. It’s hard to describe those situations, but we’ve all had them. Those times you walk in a room and sense your inadequacy because you don’t have the right body, or your clothes didn’t come from some designer nutshop for a small fortune.
I think that’s why I hate malls. Malls have become a spiritual dilemma for me because whenever I walk in a mall, I’m reminded of just how human we are, and the implications that come from that inescapable state which is humanness. We don’t live in a world that gives us the beauty of trust anymore; a world where purity of thought used to mean nakedness apart from shame. For some reason we have to clothe ourselves. For some reason we assign a value to this aspect of our humanness.
Even more than that, malls remind me that we often put more stock in compositions of fabric and thread than we do in the immensity of the abiding soul. It bothers me that we as children of God worry about this. It bothers me that I worry about it. Humans weren’t made to assign each other values based on the fickleness of external perception, but we do.
There is nothing else in human existence greater than truly being known and loved by another. That’s what we’re meant to do. This isn’t easy because it requires commitment that's willing to bear all things, but really, nothing else matters.
That’s why when the Spirit of God is present, there’s an immediate desire to fellowship. Its part of God’s nature which we see in Acts during Pentecost, or watching Jesus interact with his disciples in Luke 24. It’s why Scripture places such emphasis on hospitality toward others, why gossip is listed right alongside sexual immorality, and why food and fellowship are not suggested but commanded as part of the life of a believer. God longs for unity among his children, for their relationality with himself and with each other – it’s a perfect portrait of who he is.
Salvation is that promise of restoration in our relationality. It’s the hope of knowing the God of the universe sees us as more than the sum of our substantive parts and chooses to embrace us despite our layers of polluted humanness. It’s Christ smashing into our world and making it possible for us to enter a radically different existence.
I just pray we don’t miss it.
very well said. unfortunately, there are a lot of christians who still go by the value system. maybe they're not conscious of it, but they still do it. i see this happen a lot in large churches. they take what they see people at school do and emulate it among their church friends. getting into cliques and such.
ReplyDeleteit's been my experience that the people who do this are typically a part of the same school also, so they get used to the whole setup. they subtly shun anyone who doesn't look or even act like them. yeah they may acknowledge and be friendly toward an "oustider", but they don't extend a warm welcome toward that person to be part of the group. that's what came to mind when i read this.