March 3rd, 2021
As the snow slowly melts into an earth moisturizer, I pause to reflect on the potential goodness that the heaps of snow will soon bring to the grass, shrubs and trees I planted last year. Children, being of the human kingdom, have been reveling in the frozen heaps building forts and slides. Yet, at the same time, we can see in the same banks of snow the future potential for growth, color and beauty when the warmth of springtime has had its effect. Behind the scenes, the Lord’s will is at work on infinite levels in His drive to be conjoined with His creation. When I train my inner eye on the potentiality for future goodness, I feel gifted with greater patience and tolerance for the temporary hardships which often appear unforgiving, even cruel.
People’s experience of the pandemic might be compared to wintertime. Holed up and hibernating we have been forced to take a very long pause to seek protection from nature’s cold-hearted attack on human life. Hopefully, we have been able to draw from inner resources and found sustenance, even goodness in “silver linings” such as the gift of time for reading and reflecting on the Lord’s teachings. On one such occasion, I found the following passage and it spoke loudly to me about a new kind of potential. The potential of becoming “more human.”
The more we base what we say on sound reasoning and the more we focus on the time we will spend in heaven, the more human we are. Conversely, the more we base what we say on perverse reasonings and focus only on the time we are to spend in the world, the less human we are. In the latter case, we are still human, but only potentially rather than actually. True Christianity 417
In a nutshell, this teaching challenges us to see life’s purpose as increasing our human capacity to think more clearly and receive more fully the spiritual life of heaven to eternity. While we are born human in potential, it takes effort on our part to become a rich and absorptive receiving vessel of the Lord’s life – to actually become more fully human.
With the evidence of winter receding and with the prospect of increasing freedom from that viscous virus, may our hearts be moved and inspired to channel our pent up energies productively and purposefully in spiritually transformative ways that will lead us toward eternal happiness.