Saints, Angels, And…

MON., MAR. 13, 1989, 6:02 AM SAINTS, ANGELS, AND…
FARM, STUDY

Your class discussion yesterday focused on spiritual entities such as this title suggests, and so I shall clarify some points made and just let you know some more about the “spirit world.” It is good that you are here this week, but please use the time profitably, o son.

The basic essence of life is spirit, and the basic essence of matter is energy. The human person is an amalgam of energy and spirit. The body grows and develops from two reproductive cells, which is a wonderful, mystical process (despite scientific understanding of it) of energy replicating itself. At some time, close to birth, a spirit comes into that developing fetus, and is the immortal soul of that person. At death, or sometimes just before, the spirit leaves the body, the life force leaves and the elements of energy are then available for reassembling in other ways and forms.

It is an unfortunate humanistic notion, picked up, strongly, by many Christians, that the dead human body should be protected against this reassembling of its energy elements. Of the waste of good material for strong, resistant burial boxes I do not approve. This is an “aside,” but an important one.

Most of the spirits that enter into human form are not “brand new,” just as the elements and the energy that make up the developing body are not newly formed. A new body is, finally, a transformation of energy into a new form of matter, and the soul is a transformation of spirit, the integral essence of the “new” person.

One of the “conditions” for the spirit it that there is to be no, or little, remembrance of previous existence and, especially, of forms and places. Just as a carbon atom which is part of your writing finger does not “recall” being part of a fly, a rose bush, or a 12th century soldier, so it is with spirit. But a carbon atom has no consciousness, while a spirit has. And thus as spirit matures it has more capacity to “remember” or to be aware of its “journey”.

As spirit matures it has more and more influence over the person of whom it is the essence. This influence is toward selflessness, giving of self and substance, stewardship, and loving service, even to sacrifice of self for others. Thus, those humans who are called saints, officially or unofficially, are some of those with well developed spirits who respond, as whole human persons, to the urging of spirit, particularly as it is attuned to Me, the Holy Spirit. This results in actions and a very life style that is recognized by others as being truly special. Such saints do have more “access” to Me than do most Christians, for they are not hindered by doubts or extraneous forces. They just have a natural, close relationship with Me, and their prayers are more “real” and believable. Some in Christian traditions different from yours pray to saints and depend upon them for help. This is an accepted, legitimate Christian path, even as it is not yours.

Other well developed spirits serve as angels, with powers and capacities both like unto those of saints and different. Angels do not have physical bodies, though some have spiritual bodies that occasionally can be manifested so that they can be seen and heard. One cannot be a Bible-believing Christian and not acknowledge angels as realities, certainly not limited by bodily functioning. Angels serve, protect, and guide. It is not important that you understand this fully.

And then there are other manifestations of spirit, who can have a variety of names. The earth is made up on many, many manifestations of energy. Likewise it is “inhabited” by many, many manifestations of spirit. Angels vary even more than human persons, except that they never sin, and always serve to the best of their ability. And other manifestations of spirit abound.