WHY NOT?

To find out what makes humans fulfill their humanity as nature intended, I focused my Lectio Divina (Philippians 2:5) on nature, as in animal nature, human nature, and divine nature. These are my assumptions as I move forward and ask the following questions. Is there a natural physical boundary in the reality we find ourselves? What makes humans, for example, means I cannot be of divine nature or of animal nature. It also means that each such nature has its own characteristics. Humans, again, have the intelligence to know what is good for them and the freedom to choose that good.

Sin, in this context, means that what my human intelligence thinks is good for me is actually bad for me. Humans don’t often see the consequences of their decisions. Groups of humans (society) make laws over the years to regulate behavior. They choose what society considers moral or not, depending on who is in charge. This would be fine for humanity, except the divine nature is there to help humans in their intelligent progression toward fulfillment. God’s natural laws are the result of being 100% of his nature (and we can only speculate what they might be based on the teachings of Jesus).

Animal nature guides animal morality to be what it is. Animals don’t have a choice not to be what they are. There is an intelligent progression at work to fulfill them as their nature intended.

Humans are not animals in that they have a reason for a reason and the ability to choose their destiny beyond what their nature dictates. There is a problem for humans. We don’t have an infallible human nature to automatically tell us what is good or bad for us. We must learn what it means to be human on an individual basis based on trial and error over the centuries. The problem with societal decisions is they are the whims of the moment and not based on solid principles of behavior that always lead to allow me, the individual, to know the truth. I choose this life or that life experience until I find one that accommodates and agrees with the sum total of what I know to this point. Some decisions are good, and some are not so good (murder, envy, drunkenness, adultery, jealousy, to name a few, as in Galatians 5).

Divine nature is not human or animal nature. It is the reason for animal and human nature. It is therefore, the measurement that informs our nature to be what it is. Humans can never be of divine nature, but divine nature can accommodate us to allow us to know, love, and serve on this earth to become fully human. By itself, human nature has no power to move us forward toward our destiny. We do have the power of Adam, and Even, that is to say, YES or NO to what divine nature invites us to become, one that is, in many ways, not logical or reasonable. God send Jesus to tell us AND show us how to walk through this sometimes insane human nature without being blown up.

Human nature does not tell us how to fulfill our humanity. We fumbled around, stepping on our toes until God graced Abraham and got the process started that would lead to Jesus as Messiah allowing humans who are baptized to become adopted sons and daughters of the Father.

I am probably rambling on about more than you want to know. Here are some fragments from the basket of my Lectio Divina about our human nature.

WHY NOT?

• Stephenson 2-5, the largest star (we know about), can create tremendous energy, but cannot create a human. Why not?
• Black holes are so powerful that we can know about them and some of their properties because of science, but they don’t know about us. Why not?
• Humans have reason for a reason. Why don’t mules have human reasoning? Why not?
• Butterflies are the result of caterpillars. What makes them able to have other butterflies but not make other humans? Why not?
• The mind is a terrible thing to waste, so the saying goes. Why can’t I wish to be a horse and not become one? Is something stopping me, or can I be whatever my mind wishes? Why not?
• Why are humans limited to being just human nature and not animal or divine nature? Why not?
• Can I can the laws of nature by just wishing it so? Why not?
• Why are humans incapable of lifting themselves up to a higher nature by their own power? Why not?
• Why do we need divine nature to fulfill our human intelligent progression as nature intended? Do you have the power to make yourself God? Why not?
• Why are you unfilled as a human being unless your heart rests in the divine nature? Why?

I am not you; you are not me; God is not us; and we, most certainly are not God. Act your nature.

uiodg