What Am I? Questions of Ontology

As I am sitting at Starbucks with my friends Mariah and Mary, I have been thinking about what we are. What did God create us to be? Are we animals… Or something more? I have a feeling Starbucks cannot handle this kind of deep thought, but here I go.

It seems that most people passively believe that we are a human, homosapien, mammal, or however far down the classification list that you want to go. We are just one species within a broader classification. But is this the right thinking? Are we simply just another animal? If there is nothing special about us, then this thinking can lead to very dangerous places.

Let me offer a reductio ad absurdum argument; if we are simply another mammal, then nothing gives us reason to value life except if it is useful. We become the cows on the farm, if one of us is either born with or loses the ability to produce milk, then the farmer can get the most use out of us by making us into a cheese burger. He has no moral obligation to think of his cows are valuable unless he can use them, and the best way to use the disabled cows is to kill them! Are we just glorified cows?

The simple answer is… NO! And here’s why

Whether you are a Christian or non Christian, humans have value because of these two factors.

1.       The first is one that most Christians have heard before. But maybe have not spent time dwelling on. In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (ESV) Out of the perfect unity and relationship of the Trinity, the Godhead decided to make man; from the outpouring of their love. They made all kinds of animals: fish in the sea, birds in the air, and all kinds of creeping things on the ground. And God gave man DOMINION over them. We are commanded to rule over nature, because we are made in the image of God. So no, we are not the cousin of monkeys. They are under our God-given authority to be a good steward of.  

2.       The second reason is when God created Adam, Genesis 2:7 says that God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground, and THEN he breathed the breath of life. And only after that did Adam have life. What does this mean? It means that humans are not their body. We have a soul. And our soul is non-physical. You can’t point to it in space. Our soul does not weigh 5 pounds, it is not a foot long, and it is not next to our hearts. In short, we are a soul with a body. That is why evangelism is about helping people’s souls, because that’s what they are!

(A third argument can be made, but it would take time to develop. In a nutshell it is that because we have consciousness and animals don’t, we are distinctly different than them. And we are the only beings in creation that have the ability to will, feel, think, and the like. Animals do not and cannot do these functions, because they do not have a soul.)

We are made in the image of God, and we are a soul with a body. With this in mind, what are the implications?

1.       Racism is evil.

2.       We all have eternal value

3.       We should cherish life.

4.       When we are evangelizing, we are talking to someone’s soul, not to their appearance.

5.       Judging people because of physical disabilities is evil, aka; seeing the wheelchair and not the person.

The next time you are talking to someone, search for what their soul is crying out. Search what their eyes are saying, for this is the lamp of the body. (Matthew 6:22) Also listen to their words, because from the outpouring of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

Fellowship or Fortresses?

I've been thinking recently about fellowship, and what real fellowship is. I've been thinking this lately because it seems that I haven't been getting very much of it, yet I am around Christians all the time! It's frustrating. Being at a Bible college and getting little fellowship seems messed up to me. So my first question is... what is not fellowship? I will list a few:

1. Asking how someone is only expecting a shallow answer. like "Good."
2. Getting asked how you are and only giving a shallow answer. like "Good."
3. Hanging out with Christian friends but never talking about each other's spiritual lives, Jesus, the Bible, or things of that sort.
4. Hanging out with Christian friends, talking about your spiritual life, but then not seeking to heal, be healed, or grow.
5. Going to a Bible study but thinking about the Bible as strictly an academic book and never applying it to your life.
6. Etc. (I say "Etc." because there are definitely more examples. Hopefully you can think of them when you know what real fellowship is)

This is the kind of thing I see at my school. A lack of digging deeper into people. A lack of suffering with people. A lack of talking about the implications of the cross, today, right now, in our lives. Rather I'm stuck with this shallow attempt to make sure that we are all OK, and then moving this counterfeit status qua on into infinity.

I feel as though instead of seeking to have good fellowship, we are seeking to build a fortress with walls too high and too thick to let anyone see our problems. Instead of fellowship happening, Bible studies and the like become filled with walking, talking fortresses; always checking their perimeter. No one can penetrate their walls, and they are unwilling to let anyone through the gate.

What is true fellowship? Here's what the Holman Bible Dictionary says:

"A bond of common purpose and devotion that binds Christians to one another and to Christ." (Holman 562)

Consider what Ephesians 4:1-16. To summarize; we are called to use these fruits (v. 2) for the purpose of unity (verse 3) in the one body, one Spirit, and one hope (v.4) in one Lord, faith, and baptism (v. 5). Each member of the body is given a gift for the body (v. 11-12) for the purpose of becoming mature (v. 13) so that we will no longer be immature, tossed to and fro by every wave of false doctrine (v. 14). But we must speak the truth in love, and grow up in Christ (v. 15) in order that the whole body, even every joint, may be unified and working properly (v. 16).

Building each other up in love. Being transparent so that we can actually heal each other. James 5:16 says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed..." And being there for one another.

My friend Ryan calls this "doing life" with each other. Not simply seeing each other every so often and talking about homework. But being intentional about asking how people are, and trying to help them. And on the other side of that, being willing to be honest, humble, and wanting to be healed in Christ.

This is fellowship.