Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

we are many parts but one whole

The human psyche is complicated in one sense and really simple in the other. Let me explain. Although we are a complicated mass billions of cells, millions of neurons and zillions of synapses each individual has a need to belong, and need for companionship and a need for significance. This need drive many to do crazy things and others to achieve way beyond their capability.

We are essentially a perfect specimen made in the image of God. But does this mean that we look like God and if so what does God look like?

The problem humanity face is that we try to look for God through our understanding and perception. We look for God through our natural or sensual perception. When we hear image we immediately think of icon. This is where we who are in the training camp learn to see and hear things differently.

So how do we see and hear?

We are a conglomerate of spirit, soul and body. Not in the Greek mythological sense where we can identify and separate these ‘elements’ that constitutes us, but from the Jewish mindset where we are a complete whole. There is no dichotomy between spirit, soul and body. We cannot separate them but we can only speak in allegorical terms. They not only constitute who we are but they determine how we operate.

Let me explain further; even though I am made up of these parts, I am not me without either of these parts nor can I separate one from the other. So when I speak of my spirit, it involves my soul, how I fell about myself and my body, what impact it has on my structure (Bones, flesh and blood). We are not a tripartite being!! We are more than that.

However, whilst we are in the camp, we are taught to see, not with our physical eyes but through our spiritual lenses. Many of us still see and look with our physical or natural eyes. And hence they are not able to see and reflect the image of God (see St. John 9). We are being governed by our soul! What, I am governed by my soul!!

Our soul consists of our will, our minds and our emotions. So when I operate, act, are led by my feelings, I am walking in my ‘soulish’ realm.  And this is the problem. We cannot see because we do not perceive! The things of the spirit are discerned by those who are spiritual because the ‘carnal’ man cannot understand the things of the spirit (1Cor 2:14ff). 

Today let us ask our commanding officer to open our eyes so that we can see, and like the servant to the prophet in 2Kings 6:17 our eyes will be opened and we will see!

Read St John 9, 2Kings 6:8-23.