Influence 4

What makes us...us? What makes us, shapes and forms us into the persons that we are? Atheists tend not to believe in the existence of the human soul, since their anti-theist dogma demands that there exist nothing that cannot be scientifically measured or verified. Fair enough. But, I am not an atheist. I do not believe that the amazing and mysterious dynamic that makes us ourselves is simply the outcome of brain matter, neurosynthesis and environmental factors. When you see how distinct we all are, despite our many similarities, that there will never be two persons exactly alike, not on this earth that is inhabited by over seven billion of us, nor at any time throughout our five hundred thousand years of human existence. Which is to say that we are each more than the sum of our parts. We are not simply a blank canvas unless we are actually the artists ourselves, and I think that we are, whether or not we're aware of this. Perhaps we are each like a soft dark consciousness in the midst of the greater surrounding darkness, but there is light hidden there, and perhaps the best and most perfect trajectory of our human development involves bringing forth that light till it becomes a burning flame in the surrounding darkness. I believe that as well as organic matter formed and defined by our DNA that we are also each born a living individual human soul. Each with a will to live, to thrive, and to triumph in our circumstances. It is also my contention that we are not complete alone, because this flame that we are each ordained to carry and burn with is no less than the flame of love. This is what makes us, what defines us, as beings made by God and in the image of God who is love. It is already well known, researched, studied and documented that people who love well throughout their lives generally have better outcomes. I mean to say that those who have invested their lives in caring for others, in working for better and healthier communities, for social and environmental justice, who actively care not just for their families, not only for their friends, but for their neighbours as well, that their love and concern extends beyond their circles and zones of comfort and familiarity. This is what makes us us, what makes us authentically human. There is so much that influences us. In fact, almost everything influences us, from our parents, to our siblings, our neighbourhoods, our schools, friends and peers, what we see on TV, on the internet, on social media, on the big screen, and the music we hear or listen to, and it is almost as if none of us is really able to think for ourselves, but we do. We always do this throughout, even if it means making for ourselves some very stupid and irresponsible choices. There is also the political climate we are living in, our culture, language, how people in our country feel about human rights, immigrants, other religions, other political systems. The plethora of influences is endless. And it never seems to end. We are often like peahens, the female bird, drab and unadorned, waiting and passively observing while the ostentatious peacock shows of its gorgeous plumage, to see if he can seduce us. But, like the peahens, who casually inspect the stunning feathers of the male bird the way the Queen inspects the calvary guard, we are always quietly deciding, and then we consent or withdraw our consent to being seduced, to being influenced, to allowing our lives, our minds and our bodies to be modified, altered or changed. And this often means our decision to buy or not to buy, because the largest and most insidious seducers happen to be companies and corporations for whom our existence means one thing and one thing only. Buying and consuming their product. And they are not going to care a straw that this also means extinguishing the flame that we are, and it is going to be snuffed out when wse consent to their seduction, because those greedy bastards extinguished their own flame many years ago.