One of the ancient maxims about life is for us to “know thyself”. Another was “as above, so below”. The truth we see at any level of reality also applies to other levels. What can ourselves at the physical teach us about life at the planetary level?
A popular analogy is that each of us is a cell in the body of planet earth, in much the same way that we have trillions of cells that makeup our bodies. So how do our body cells operate to maintain our health and well being? Even though our cells are different shapes and sizes and do different things, they work together. Cooperation is their motto. If there is a need in any part of the body, the whole system uses its resources to meet the need. Can you imagine the heart refusing to pump extra blood into cold feet because it doesn’t care?
When we see our fellow human beings in need, how do we respond?
Second each cell exists for the sake of the whole body. Cells die all the time and more are created to replace them. They exist for the sake of the whole. We might ask how much our individual lives are contributing to the well being of the planet? Each of us will die at some point; how will we measure the success of a lifetime?
Our bodies are an everyday miracle. Can we learn from them and use that wisdom to create the miracle of planet earth? The ancients told us to “know thyself”. We might add “apply what you learn”, because “as above, so below”.
by Rev Dick Wolgamott
