Jagadish "Jaggi" Vasudev, better known as Sadhguru, an Indian yoga guru and proponent of spirituality once remarked: "Your thoughts and emotions are of no existential consequence. They are your creation - you could make them any way you want." Galatians 5:16-21 reminds us: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Existentialism is defined as the philosophical belief that each person in life is responsible for creating their own individual purpose and meaning. It focuses on the subjective experience of thinking, feeling and acting. To an extent, everyone in life has some control as to how they lead their life. However, people are susceptible to external pressures and temptation that may challenge that standard. Psalm 8 states: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Life presents constant choices in our individual paths we wish to follow, if we heed the guidance and suggestions from God as given in the Bible, think and act accordingly, we are in a much better position to strive for a more perfect life. Romans 8:5-8 confirms: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Katharine Hepburn the famous actress once remarked: “Kindness is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return.” Genesis 1:20 confirms: And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”
For many, life continues on a daily basis without one ever knowing what will come next. When we wake, we may have no idea what is in store for us for the rest of the day. Will it be good? will it be bad? will something interesting happen? or will it just be a normal day occurring without incident? If we did have the foresight to know in advance, we may feel discouraged from ever setting foot out of bed, it may feel so much simpler and far more agreeable to just roll over, pull the bedding over our heads and just snuggle down until the following morning.
Susan was a twelve-year-old girl who had a love of animals from an early age with the desire to go to college and study to become a Veterinary Surgeon when she attained school leaving age. It was 08:10 on a wet morning and she had just returned from her daily morning paper round. As usual, she parked her bike in the family garage. As she exited, she pressed the electronic push-button to close the garage doors but, as she walked round to the front door of the house, she noticed a young bird nestling under the hedge in the front garden. It appeared to be in a state of disarray and somewhat traumatized. She approached it cautiously, the bird flapped its wings a few times but refused to fly off. She went indoors and spoke to her mother. She informed her that she had seen a young bird in the front garden which had refrained from flying away as she approached it. There was obviously some sort of problem and it appeared to be suffering from discomfiture.
Her sense of responsibility and existentialism had temporarily shifted to concern for the young bird in distress. She was concerned that if it stayed there for any length of time it would be in great danger of harm from predators in the nearby vicinity. David Attenborough, an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and author once remarked: “Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?” Her mother went outside with Susan to where the bird was situated. She looked around to see if its parents or any other birds were in the vicinity, but could find none. She informed her daughter that it was a young fledgling belonging to the sparrow family whose wings were not yet strong enough for it to fly on its own accord. It had obviously attempted to leave the nest too soon, but did not have the strength in its wings to fly normally. A fledgling is defined as a young bird that is still underdeveloped.
She agreed with her daughter that if the bird remained there it would be in great danger and would probably not survive for much longer. She said: “I think it would be better to gently move the bird onto the bird table that we have located in the back garden as this would be a much safer place for it.” Job 38:41 reminds us: “Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?” She went inside the house and brought out a soft clean towel and gently placed it over the bird. The bird remained still. She gently clasped the fledgling and lifted it up to her chest. She then proceeded to carry it into the back garden where she placed it on the bird table which also contained an enclosed area for the bird to retreat into. She removed the towel and coaxed it inside the sheltered area to provide comfort and warmth for the young bird.
She asked her daughter if she would dig up some worms from the garden soil and place them in a bowl together with a fresh bowl of water. She informed her daughter that they had now to leave the bird alone so that it did not become further traumatized. She went to the local pet shop to purchase the best seed for a young bird and scattered that on the bird table to provide additional food.
Every morning for the next few days the daughter would check on the bird and replenish the food and water to allow it to survive. Matthew 25:35-40 reminds us: Jesus once said: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? After five days the daughter went early in the morning to the bird table and noticed that the bird had gone. It had by now obviously attained enough strength in its wings to fly away to freedom and fend for itself in life. God will always provide in times of need. Matthew 10:29 confirms “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”
Amen.
