People are complex immortal souls, consciousness, in an animal body. We are not angels, we have bodies. We are animals, but not merely animals, because we have eternity in our hearts. When we want to eat, we are animals. When we imagine a dish that has never been, then we are souls. When the bread and wine in the Eucharist are seen in the True Light, the outer symbol of bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Christ, then we are fully human.
An animal can see what is, but a human can wish for what should be. This is more than an animal longing for missing comforts, but an ability to imagine something better, even a better that has never been. A dog might be hungry and look about for food, but a man can take the food he finds and make something entirely different!
Genius that incarnates an idea is the job of humans! The brilliant show Chopped takes chefs, gives them an odd basket of food products, and sets them loose in a kitchen. In seconds, humans use their minds and bodies to take mismatched ingredients and create tasty dishes. A mere animal would end up with stuff, the human with the possibility of delights.
We are animals with the possibility of divinity ever since God became man so man could become like God.
All of this is true, and good, but we are broken. As a result, we have problems: body, spirit, and soul. This is not good, but still there is healing and hope, but only if we are not confused. Physical problems need physical solutions. When I am depressed, as I am at times, based on physical causes, then my medical doctor is the physician I need. To consult my priest would not be wrong, just not helpful! When my spirit is hurting, then my medical doctor can only give me drugs that mask the deeper pain. I need my spiritual father or mother to bring medicine to the spirit. If my mind is confused, my intellect full of despair, then a teacher can help with healing through the dialectic.
The fundamentalist reduces humans to one aspect of our natures by becoming enamored with one sort of cure. Medicine for our bodies works . . . As far as bodily problems go, so the materialist proclaims all problems (really!) are physical. Meanwhile, the religious enthusiast sees the good that the spiritual cure does for a wounded spirit and so tells the biologically depressed to “pray more.” Neither medicine will cure the wound in the mind!
Proper medicine is needed for each type of illness.
This should be obvious for a Christian, but fear keeps us from wisdom. We fear the reduction of people to animals, so we deny our animal nature! This is like starving our bodies to avoid over eating. The result of this mistake, however, is to cast doubt on spiritual help. When applied to problems that it was not intended to cure, spiritual disciplines fail. The fears of the fundamentalist bring on the failure of the faithful.
I have benefited from medicine for depression: body, spirit, and soul. To be healthy I need my medical doctor, my priest, and my mentor. Each works to restore the proper balance so that creativity can flow: “is” can be transformed to what “should” be.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In