Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Friday December 7, 2007

I often write and speak on the subject of personal growth, in the mental, physical and most importantly, the spiritual areas of life. Tragically most people do not see the importance of all three of these areas in which we frail humans need development. Writing on human development Einstein said, "The function of the body is to carry the mind around." Pretty good idea, yet fails to take into account the fact that we are responsible to recognize our body as the temple of God and as such is not to be neglected or mutilated, but to be treated as a special Holy Place.

The mind/heart is to be the seat of god like thoughts and feelings and is not to be used improperly to think impure thoughts or to permit feelings that are demeaning to others or to ourselves. This brief statement covers tomes of literature on the subject, but the truth of it is attested by the bulk of writing in the Jewish, Christian and other major religions.

The biblical mandates to develop in each area are for the good of "Humankind." I use this term only because I defer to an ignorant populace that has no understanding of the term "Mankind." And I must keep the peace with the Great Blonde.

The body will as it is, will last only through this period of our existence, the new body is to be a body like that of our resurrected Christ. The mind and spirit will be used much like it is and be helpful in what has come to be called the afterlife. I still call it heaven. The brain is physical, the mind is….? Many people have a brain, but obviously no mind. At least one editor said this to me.

Commenting on the necessity of tricotomous growth Carl Sandburg told a story of man who asked him concerning the small town of his birth, Galesburg, IL, "Any great men born here?" to which Sandburg replied, "Nope, just babies."

That we must grow in body, mind and spirit is a fact of life. We all start out as babies and the inability to grow into a functioning human being is a sign that something went wrong. Years ago a friend took me with him to visit his son in the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital I was shocked to discover his son, 27 at the time, was a permanent patient in Delaware State Hospital. The man's head was fully developed; he could read and talk as a fully normal person. Yet at 27 he had the body of an infant. He had to be shaved, bathed, wear diapers and be carried from place to place, and weighed in at about 30-40 pounds. I was amazed at his upbeat attitude. I have often thought that while I have an over developed body, I am, as was this man, a prisoner in the body, as we are limited by the reality of physical nature. I am even more limited by drivers who drive under the speed limit in front of me.

The Great Blonde assures me that this outrage at hesitant drivers is a sure sign that her chubby hubby needs more work in the spiritual area. Life had to be better for husbands in the good old days when women were not allowed to read. I feebly point out that I have made spiritual progress in that I am only outraged at those ninnies in front of me instead of being outraged at all such drivers in general. Now, for me, this is quantum leap growth. Joyce, in her sweet way insists that I must desire the sincere milk of God's word in order to grow and that when I desire the word with the same intensity that I desire to wring necks, positive spiritual growth will result. She just may be onto something big.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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