I Am Divinely Made

Who are we?

The whole universe comes from him and his life burns through the whole universe. In his power is the majesty of thunder. Those who know him have found immortality. (From Katha Upanishad, part 6)

And then the Lord God formed man from just the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life: and man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7              

We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, then We made that drop into a clinging form, and We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms –– glory be to God, the best of creators! (Qur’an, 23:12-14)            

All life is divinely made, from the smallest amoeba to the giant whale or the most ancient redwood in the forest. The spark of the divine provides and sustains life. We exist through two perfect gifts – breath and the web of life, our interdependence.

We know that the birds eat earthworms and insects. That big fish eat little fish, and that trees draw their water and nutrients from the earth. This elementary level understanding becomes “the” web of life for those of us who are not scientists. We see ourselves at the top of the web of life, as supreme beings, able to walk, speak, and make intelligent life decisions. We forget that intelligence is part of every living being and each species has its own wisdom suitable for its survival. We no longer acknowledge what we receive from other species. Trees give us oxygen to breathe and wood for building. Food animals die by the millions to fill the meat counters in the grocery stores. Potatoes and green peas once lived peacefully in a garden taking their nutrients and water from the living earth.

Centuries ago, prior to sophisticated housing and weapons, humans were as much a part of the web of life as the bird, the fly, or the lion. Larger, stronger animals often chased us down in order to fill their bellies when hungry. Today we are protected by our technology. But whom or what protects the rest of life on the planet? We’ve become bullies and predators, misusing our ability to control and consequently mistreating other forms of life.

Most of us don’t learn to think seriously about our divine beginnings, or perceive ourselves as a part of Mother Nature. According to religious literature we were made from the earth itself. Our body is mostly water just as the earth is mostly water. We need the nutrients and minerals found in the earth to be healthy. Our planet Earth, through the germination of vegetable and fruit seeds, provides much of our food.

From the time we are old enough to think and communicate, we are focused on ourselves and what we’ll do with our lives. We think about growing up, graduating high school and college, owning a car, driving, dating, getting married, having a job, perhaps having a family and a home of our own. We are not taught to perceive Mother Nature as a member of our family. But, she is.

Most of us believe in divine beings: the divinity of a supreme being, the divinity of angels, and master teachers like Christ and The Buddha. Even if we are atheist, we feel there has to be an original first cause to explain creation.

Some of us speak of our children as gifts of God, but few of us think about our children as divine beings. We are too locked in the medical model of human egg and sperm, gestation, and a medical delivery. Separation from nature has caused us to feel separate from the divine spark of life that created the fertilized egg that became a living child. We are not comfortable thinking of ourselves as a divine part of creation, so we don’t see our children as divine beings.

Our divine spark is represented in our capacity to love one another. It is our happiness, our joy, our intuition, our built in wisdom. It is the working of our body and the miracle of our immune system. It is the ability to balance and rebalance when injured or sick. Divine planning is in the migration patterns of birds, the hibernation of bears, the flow of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, and the rhythm of the tides.

We have the ability to work together in unity and experience our oneness. We as spiritual beings have the capacity to turn the world away from violence and destruction and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding. Our divinity can shine as bright as the brightest star. It is the light within us, and if we choose, can fill the world with love. We can raise our world civilization into a new era of harmony.

Do you accept the invitation?