Today is Resurrection Sunday, also known as Easter. So, I’ve been thinking a lot about my beliefs about the meaning of Christ’ resurrection and how it relates to what I believe about the human makeup of body, soul, and Spirit. I might describe it like this, I am an eternal soul, energized by the Spirit of God, and housed in a temporary body made of earth and star dust.
The week before my grandson was born, my youngest daughter expressed her curiosity as to what kind of soul was going to be dropped into his body. I laughed and said that I wondered about the same thing. It seems that humans spend an entire lifetime trying to know, accept, or reinvent themselves. I think what we are really trying to do is reconcile our brains (intellect) with our soul (preferences and personality) with the Spirit (God consciousness). But what my daughter was really curious about was the ultimate nature of my grandson’s basic essence or the core of his preferences and personality. Was he going to be a warm, generous, loving soul or a difficult one? So far, having finally been released from the hospital, he seems to be a determined yet mild-mannered little guy, preserving his fussiness to express his hunger. When I finally get to see him in person this summer, I know that I’ll likely make a judgement as to whether or not he is an old soul because on some level I do believe in reincarnation.
I am a Christian, a follower of Christ, but when it comes to the definition and role of the body, soul, and Spirit to our human existence, I am also influenced by the teachings of other religions as well as my own lived experiences. I believe in the cloud of witnesses, in heaven, and in hell as the separation of the soul from the Spirit. But I also believe in multiple chances for the soul to return to earth to perhaps “get it right”.
Anyone who has spent time with me knows that I view the human body as a tent, a house, or a shell that is knit together in the womb to one day house the soul and Spirit. I view the soul as our individual essence and the Spirit as the life force of God (silent until invited). I believe both to be eternal and inseparable until the final day of judgment. The body is an incredible house comprised of the genetic material that gives us the physical and mental attributes of generations past. I don’t care about skin color or nationality or ethnicity or culture beyond how humans treat each other because of these superficial attributes. I view the brain as a vital part of the body that is shaped by genetics, experience, and environment (nurture & nature). The brain’s interaction with the soul often leads to internal conflict over right and wrong. I believe this conflict takes place in the center of activity called the mind or heart (not the physical organ). When only the brain and soul are active in the mind/heart, I call this a “carnal mind”. On those occasions when both the brain and the soul are mired in negativity, we witness human depravity at its worst.
As I mentioned before, I believe at the center of each human is the mind or heart where the brain, soul, and if permitted, the Spirt interact. To be lead by the Spirit is to be in touch with God and to do and behave in ways that sometimes defy human expectations. Prayer, mediation, and quiet help us connect to and hear the Spirit. Some people think of the Spirit as a still small voice, intuition, or a gut feeling about something. I believe that the brain and soul while valuable, are flawed and should be in brought into submission to the Spirit. Because the brain is easily influenced by outside factors like food, drugs, experiences, and environmental pollution and the soul has been in a fallen state since Adam, we are in need of redemption. As a Christian, I believe Jesus was that redemption. Others may have another path to redemption. But I believe it is the forgiveness of my soul and my willingness to open up that allows the Spirit to become active in my mind, ultimately transforming my soul. For me, this is what it means to be born again. This is what it means to have a renewed mind. And I believe the Bible verse that says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The word fruit refers to an outcome or tangible result.
If the relationship between the body, soul and Spirit sounds complicated, that’s because it is. And I honestly don’t even know what is completely true. I do know that I have personally had out of body experiences. I do know that I interacted with my mother and a few others after they died. I also know that sometimes I do things that appear miraculous because I followed the voice of the Spirit and not my logical brain nor my soulish cravings.
I watch a lot of Korean dramas and they seem to really believe in things like fate, reincarnation, angels, and ghosts. I have to ask myself if the story of Jesus meeting with Moses and Elijah was Him meeting with ghosts? I have to ask myself if children who seem extraordinarily wise, talented, or gifted for their young age are not reincarnated? I have to ask myself if my out of body experience in the dentist’s office watching the dentist revive me from an accidental overdose of nitric oxide from the upper corner of the room is proof enough for me of the soul’s independence of the body? Or if hearing my deceased mother’s voice literally directing me to her missing will, which I found in the most unlikely place at her specific direction is enough? I have to wonder if there were times when I narrowly escaped disaster if an angel came to my aide?
I allow the still small voice to guide me as much as possible because it has proven itself to be far more accurate, far more compassionate, and far more insightful than my brain and soul. It gives me the energy to forgive, to be humble, to be brave, and to be patient. I feel the loving energy of the Spirit within me and others have felt it coming from me. I’m grateful that my ancestors gifted me with a strong brain and that perhaps fate granted this body with a kind soul that isn’t overly mired with evil desires that greatly conflict with the teachings of Christ. I know for others, this is not the case and that it is much harder to live life as a decent human being without the power or energy of the Spirit.
So, on this Resurrection Sunday, I am thankful to Jesus for the gift of redemption that can be freely received by anyone. This redemption makes it possible for the Spirit who resides in my mind/heart to actively influence my daily life. And this redemption gives me the confidence that my soul can leave this earth one day to join that cloud of witnesses waiting for the final day of judgment. Happy Resurrection Day.