Do you remember what we discussed last week? I'll remind you -- memory.
Many miracles are involved in life. Let's face it: the first miracle is life, itself! For example, how can dissolved rock, mixed with other dissolved minerals in water, spontaneously become a living organism? Answer: Impossible. Life is a series of miracles.
Did eyes, stomach, heart, brain and all the rest appear simply out of necessity? Absolutely not. A Creative Mastermind was on the job. Let's take a look at one of the thousands of miracles involved in life: Memory.
I wake up in the morning and notice something in the air: Coffee! I didn't see it, taste it, or feel it -- I smelled it. How did I know what it was? (The olfactory sense -- smell -- is also a miracle.) I've smelled coffee before, and that aroma became embedded in my ... what? My mind? What's that?
One psychologist said that the mind is an information-processing entity. But when I read his full article, it was obvious he didn't really know what the mind is. He wasn't even sure he existed. (I'm not joking.) It's better to think of the mind (another miracle) and spirit as overlapping concepts, but that's another story for another time.
Back to memory.
The eternal Mastermind, God, created us in such a way that when we learn something, the body generates new material (ROM in computer language) around the brain that records the information. That's a miracle. The info may be in the brain's grey matter, but it's the white matter that processes the information. The Creator thought of everything.
Humans take so much for granted, that they don't understand or appreciate what God has made available to us. Pushing God out of our social psyche deprives us of an abundance of information. Let's not do that.
We cannot explain how God created the miracle of memory, but we can discuss the operation and the benefits. One benefit is security in knowing who we are.
I've never joined the crowd who wondered who they were, why they are here, and what their purpose in life is. For one thing, many of them, also, can't determine if they exist. I pity them, for that's a nebulous quandary! I've used the investigative ability God gave me to study the Bible. I've used the gifts of memory and rationality to recall and meditate on what I've learned. Then, using a gift called faith, I've established who I am, and why I exist. That information is found in the Bible.
My relationship with Jesus Christ is my foundation. The song says it well, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness."
But growing up in relationship with my father, mother, and siblings increases my social balance and stability. Knowing my parent's history gives my life depth.
For example, dad was on the USS Yorktown, CV-5, in the Battle of Midway.
Today (June 3, 2020) marks the beginning of the 78th anniversary of this battle, which was the second naval battle in history where opposing ships didn't see each other. (The Battle of the Coral Sea several months earlier was the first.) Some have called the Battle of Midway "the turning point in the war of the Pacific." Others said, "What Gettysburg was to the American Civil War, Midway was to World War II in the Pacific."
I have many memories about that battle because ... wait a minute. I was born after the war, so how can I remember it? Dad was there, he shared his memories with us, and I subsequently studied a lot about it. Now, since I carry many of dad's memories within me, not only am I an extension of his physical life, I've become an extension of his social life. I talk about dad and tell his stories; and because of that, I'm one of dad's memorials, and his life continues through me.
That should be true of all Christians related to Jesus. As we accept Christ into our lives and study the Bible, not only are we God's adopted children, we also become an extension of Jesus and His ministry on earth. His goals, thoughts, and actions become ours. After all, we are the bride of Christ.
2 Timothy 2:15 exhorts us to study the Bible diligently so we can accurately teach others; and the miracle of memory is highly important in fulfilling our portion of God's plan.
-- S. Eugene Linzey is a teacher, author, and mentor. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his website at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Religion on 06/03/2020