Inspiration for the Soul

The Philosopher’s Stone

Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson once stated that “Healthy children will not fear life if their elders have integrity enough not to fear death.” When we look at life from the perspective of our inherent growth, doorways to bliss open where there were once only walls.

Youth is the gift of God. But when it is gone, are we meant to toil? This very question lies at the foundation of Genesis, the book of creation, that warns us of the plight to come. But much like the role of a fairytale, it tells us of one possible outcome.

We all fall into consciousness. Like Adam and Eve, we begin to see the world from a polarized perspective. However, this need not be the eternal case of our story unfolding. Christianity teaches that God forgives us for original sin through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. By accepting a focal point, the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as a focal point, we atone through holy ablution for the a-priori sin of our ancestors. Does this mean we will not bear its consequence? Of course not. Part of the beauty of human life is that we become conscious, as God is, of good and evil. This knowledge and its consequence is the plight of adult life, and one where a return to the original state calls upon us to embark upon a journey to find that psychospiritual gold present in the journey itself.

I once heard that Michelangelo released David from the stone block he carved. What a beautiful way of looking at the brevity of the work he undertook. Perfection realized from a stone block. In its infantile state, the marble slab was a work of art itself, a gift of nature. But in the toiling present, a masterpiece of beauty arose.

Age is a source of beauty to honor. Wisdom is earned, not learned. Maybe we can celebrate that perspective again and see what seeds of art we can learn from the elders that grace our lives.

Blessings, my friends. May joy find you on your journey to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.