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| Vol. 12 No. 9 September 2010 | Page 8 |
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| Vol. 12 No. 9 September 2010 | Page 8 |
Editor's NoteBetty Burton Choate
Humans define the dividing line between humanness and other life forms as the “awareness of self.” A better wording would be the “awareness of soul.” The “self” that is enwrapped in the physical body, invisible to the physical eye, yet is the core existence from which all that is human emanates, can be none other than the soul — the inner man, the spiritual essence of our dual being.
This consciousness of the invisible self is the bedrock of fact — not of “question,” not of “supposition,” not even of “faith” — but the bedrock of fact that the unseen spirit world is real, that the soul springs from a parent spirit Being Who gave it existence and life, and toward Whom it reaches as though bound by invisible cords.
When the soul has not been paralyzed by deliberate training in rejection of its Creator’s existence, universally and historically man has believed in the reality of the Creator and the unseen spirit world (Romans 1:20-22). He has rightly worshiped that Being as the One deserving of homage, even of sacrifice. He has been overwhelmed within himself with the eternal majesty and greatness of God in comparison to himself.
In moments of extreme joy, when the spirit within man seems to swell in happiness to the point of almost bursting the confines of his physical body, worshipful words of “Oh, God!” wing heavenward. In moments of deepest anguish, when the spirit within man seems crushed with agony to the point of being sucked back into the darkness of a helpless fetal existence, broken words of “Oh, God…” are wrung from his lips.
When skies are blue and roses bloom and all seems right and beautiful in man’s world, grateful words of “Father…” rise unsuppressed from the heart. When the world reels with nature’s devastation and there is no remedy that will make everything right again, “Father, Father, help me!” is the plea that breaks from the bleeding heart.
No matter what comes into our lives — or even into the lives of those in our modern secular world who have chosen not to build their existence around God — it would be safe to say that few days would pass without some almost involuntary intrusion of thought of Him, some mention of His name. Why? Because the soul within man knows that God is real. Though, through sin we may forfeit our status as His children, we cannot undo the soul’s awareness of its source of life.
“Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:1-4).
