Universally Speaking
Rahim Islam
Rahim Islam is a National Speaker and Writer, Convener of Philadelphia Community of Leaders, and President/CEO of Universal Companies, a community development and education management company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. Follow Rahim Islam on FaceBook(Rahim Islam) & Twitter (@RahimIslamUC)
In Part 1 of my article, I tried to establish that there is definitely a Creator no matter what science confirms or doesn’t confirm – the fact of the matter, I believe that both science and faith are on the same page most of the time. This Creation, which includes man, is no accident – there is a Creator.
Like everything in Creation, man has a purpose for its existence. What is that purpose?
Everything in Creation has a role and responsibility towards the sustainability of Creation – and man has the biggest role and responsibility.
The Creator created man in His own image and I believe the image wasn’t anything physical because physical reduces the discussion to limitations and the Creator has no limitations.
The image of the Creator in question is the characteristics of His “spirit” and His “will” – these are the things that men are supposed to emulate.
Under the guise of religion, man has abuse his position by portraying himself as being God like by placing human images on God.
I asked you, why is the image of God portrayed in human physical form? And who benefits the most from this description? – this lie has significantly hurt Black people, however, portraying a white man as God is damaging to all people.
It hurts white people because it has given them a sense of superiority that has allowed them to do some of the most despicable acts to Blacks under the guise of religion and it’s damaging to Black people because it subconsciously creates a level of inferiority within them.
What would happen if people would sit in churches throughout the world for centuries with the image of aBlack man as saviour of the world before them? What would this do to the mind of the world’s white children?
What would happen to the world’s white children if you put a figure of a Black man presented, pitiable, and in pain ”the Saviour of all men”?
This is not civilized and civilized people should want that their religions to be also civilized.
False worship of any kind is the worst form of oppression. Men are not God; they are not the Creator of the heavens of the earth and everything in between.
There should NEVER be any inference, suggestion, comments, or actual statements that speak to anything that God and man can share the same space (no matter how you spin it).
As I have stated previously, I’m neither a theologian nor biblical scholar but based on my limited studies of the Bible, the imaging of God is not supported by the Bible.
When you study the Old Testament and the New Testament imaging of God or the depicting of God in human form is not supported by its teachings.
In fact, the Bible clearly says that it shouldn’t be done – this is something that has come with the transition from Roman, Greek, and Western Europe idolatry.
The transition from that idolatry to Christianity brought along with it the old customs and habits of the pre-Christian people and I think it’s time church leaders realize that the mind of the masses now is too sophisticated for that.
We are not so primitive or savage in our mind or soul that we need these symbols to attract our attention or attract us to faith.
We don’t need them anymore. The intellect of the masses has grown so this is not even necessary (it never was); in fact it’s disrespectful.
Man is the greatest of the Creator’s creation and has the responsibility of being the Creator’s steward and custodian on the earth – man is the caretaker of Earth.
Even though man has been made to be the steward, his beginning is most humble – every man comes into this world through the womb of a woman and his position is the most vulnerable of all creation.
Of all of the Creator’s creation, man’s beginning is the most dependent and is completely dependent on external forces for a very long time.
Horses are able to stand and walk shortly after they are born. A baby cannot walk for a year.
Sparrows start flying at about two months old, at which time they also hunt for their own food.
Human babies cannot truly feed themselves for years – a couple of years pass before they find their way to the refrigerator on their own. Cheetah cubs leave their mothers between 13 and 20 months after birth. The average American human lives with a parent at least 18 years.
More than any other species, a human baby enters the world completely dependent upon his parents for every physical need. That relationship of reliance continues for many years.
Man doesn’t come into the leadership role and be able to deliver on his purpose if many things don’t happen during his formative and very vulnerable years. Let’s examine the human being’s growth for a moment – what an unbelievable creation by God.
Many social scientist state that the child’s mental growth is greater during the period of age zero through age three and if certain inputs aren’t instilled in the child, his growth is threaten; therefore his ability to be the Creator’s stewards also challenged.
Man means mind and mind is developed through communication and the instillation of words – words make mind. Words are essential in the formation of the mind.
This is why we label everything and we spend a significant time instructing our babies with words.
This is why the environment that a child is born in to will significantly impact his ability to live up to his purpose for being creative.
Our children need so much and as adults, we are responsible to make sure that our children are protected, cuddled, nurtured, and given every opportunity to grow naturally – most of all our children need knowledge.
Because of the tremendous responsibility of man, this is the natural path of his life because with knowledge comes a certain level of responsibility.
For example, when a child learns that he can’t place his hand in fire because he will burn himself – this is knowledge (he now knows better and he will do better).
With this knowledge comes a certain level of responsibility.
As the leader of his being, he is now responsible to control his arms and hands from placing them into the fire (he has a higher responsibility to his whole body).
He is also naturally taught a healthy respect for the creation and by deduction a healthy respect for the Creator.
With knowledge comes responsibility this is why knowledge is power and as he grows and his knowledge grows, his capabilities grow and he ultimately can assume the role of the Creator’s steward on the earth.
Even the child’s individual home is not enough to adequately grow him into the leader he will need to be.
As the old African proverb states “It takes a village to raise a child,” it takes a village to grow a child into a productive young adult and then adult – this is the natural trajectory for man to ultimately become the Creator’s steward on the earth.
As young children, the village is small and nurturing extended to his immediate family.
The village provided safety and security, but most of all it provided love – this small community is the foundation of the child’s identity.
Eventually, the child has to leave the smaller village into a larger village (i.e. going to school, etc.).
The bigger village will challenge the growth of the child even more to take risk and become active learners in the quest for knowledge.
The village will; expand from the parents, grandparents, or the extended family to other adult teachers and friends.
They too become mentors and role models and help to expand their horizons and most of all they help the child to search within themselves to recognize their potential.
To Be Continued Next week.