Hi folks, I hope you are doing ok, this week we will be meeting at Platform 2 at 7.30. We look forward to seeing you there. This weeks blog, ‘A Question of Being Human’ is written by John Cooper.
A few years ago, my son and I were walking on the beach. He turned to me and said:
”The thing about dogs is that they can only know they’re dogs, they have no concept of what someone looking at a dog sees. It’s the same for us as humans. We can’t know what our limitations are because we can never see ourselves from the outside.”
I wonder if you agree with him. Certainly, we have the ability to self-analyse; but can we ever escape our own humanness and see beyond it.
Another issue with how we see ourselves as human is dualism. A perceived split between physical and spiritual; body and spirit; flesh and mind; biological and psychological. For 3000 years the pervading view has been that the body is bad, and the mind (or spirit) is good.
But what if this wasn’t the only way to think about the body? Especially within our faith it could bring into question the way we think about gender, sexuality, disability, ecology, heaven, the afterlife etc. Feminist theologian Margaret Farley suggest that we are “spiritual embodiments; embodied spirits”: that there is not, and cannot be, a split between those two things. If we see ourselves as a unified whole where spirit/ intellect and body are inseparable, it must change how we see those around us who are born differently to us. And especially how we look at any questions of – “What next…?” – when we die.
What if our bodies are good? What if they are more than vessels for the soul/ intellect?
A third way we are distinct is our community. While other animals gather in families, species groups packs etc. We have evolved to gather in larger and more complex communities. Often being in more than one community at a time. And built upon the other differences above these can be abstract and more than simply survival strategies.
While there are probably many more differences we may discuss, the final one I want to highlight is our ability to detrimentally affect the planet. Some scientists call our current age the age of the Anthropocene. The age of mankind. Before 1945 the chances of an existential level event which threatened earth was 10,000 to 1. And was the reserve of asteroids and other extra-terrestrial (not aliens) factors. Since 1945, humankind has offered earth two major terrestrial threats: nuclear weapons and climate change. While climate change has been happening for a few hundred years its possible full impact has only been seen since the 1960’s. Now some scientists think an existential threat to earth’s biological inhabitants in the next century is as high as 7 to 1! And that change is humankind.
What do you think: What, if anything makes us special/ different within creation?
Finally, I want us to think a little bit about Jesus. Often the Evangelical view of Jesus’ mission stops at salvation. Jesus came to save us, and by that we mean he came to secure our soul/ spirit into a new spiritual age. While some of that may be true, the bible speaks of new humanity, new creation, and a new earth, so I am not sure where this spiritual age where we lose of physical bodies comes from (OH WAIT! I do Plato 
).
So, what if there is another more physical dimension to Jesus – incarnation, enfleshment, becoming human. What if one of the reasons Jesus came was to be an example of what it is possible to be when you’re a human being? It seems to me that Christianity has spent a lot of time trying to rise above being human and erring into the territory of God; while God chose to become human to show us what being fully human is about. Perhaps, instead of trying to be gods, we should concentrate on following the example of God being the best of Humanity.
And what did he say: Love God, Be loved, love others…
27 …“The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
So how do you feel about being a human? How do you see yourself in the big old scheme of things?
Questions
- What’s the best and worst human traits?
- Describe humans as if they were an animal?
- What strategies do humans use to think about being human?
- Are humans Special? If so, why, if not, why not
- Margaret Farley described humans as “embodied spirits; spiritual embodiments” What does that mean?
- Do we need to be more like God, or more like God being a human?
Rob Wylie is the founder of BeachcomberFX and guides its leadership team. He has worked in the North East for over 20 years and has vast experience from various roles he has held. He has a passion for Fresh Expressions of Church and Pioneer Ministry as well as beer, beaches and Miniature Schnauzers.