How does Willard Describe Humanity?
Willard describes humanity as ‘different from other creatures’. He explains this description by saying that human beings, unlike other creatures, have a purpose, aspirations, and a power beyond what we know we possess (Willard, 1991, pg. 47). Humanity is defined by the presence of a body and a soul, in addition to the exceptional possibilities that have the power to lead us to heaven or hell. Though made a little less than a god, human beings are care for by God, which is an indication of the intrinsic importance and uniqueness of humanity. People even have power over animals, as evidenced by a story by Willard.
This kind of power is an inherent distinctiveness between other creatures and humans. In his explanation of what sanctity is, Willard says that when the soul is holy, the body is also holy (Willard, 1991, pg. 48). Willard’s explanation is not consistent with substance dualism perspective, which posits that mind and body, good and evil, God and Devil, are independent forces, but with equal and opposite power (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2016). Substances are made up of properties, but according to the notion of substance dualism, a substance is more than a collection of its characteristics (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2016). For example, the mind is not just a collection of thoughts, but it is also a substance, although immaterial.
Relationship between Spirit and the Body
Willard observes that human beings, unlike other animals, were not only created from dust, but they also possess something of God (Willard, 1991, pg. 52). When God created man, he breathed into his nostrils, and he became a ‘living being’. This indicates that before God breathed into man’s nostrils, man wasn’t considered a human being. Breathing into a man’s nostrils is likened to giving the body a spirit, by Willard. Therefore, the body can exist without a spirit. The body of a human being is further laden with intention, choice, and conscious thought (Willard 1991, pg. 53). The ‘flesh’ is more of a reservoir of the inherent powers that have been bestowed on human beings. However, when man fell out with God at the Garden of Eden, this inherent power was consequently cut off, but man has a chance to redeem the power by staying in contact with God.
Man experiences spiritual starvation because of the lack of the initial interaction that he had with God. Reconnecting with God can recharge a man’s power, enabling him to communicate with God and have dominion over other animals as it were at the Garden of Eden. The initial creation story indicates that the body can exist without spirit. Page 72 quotes Mathew 26:41, which states that “the body is willing, but the flesh is weak”. This is an indication that the body and the spirit are two independent entities. However, without spirit, the body cannot thrive. When a person dies, the body stops being a ‘living being’. Without the breath that God breathed into man, the body is just flesh.
Importance of Spiritual Formation to Spiritual Care Rendered to Others
Individual spiritual formation is critical to spiritual care that I provide to others. This is because understanding the spiritual formation of self, which is similar among all human beings, will help me respect the spiritual formation of others. With this understanding, it is easier to provide relevant spiritual care to patients. Also, it is easier to build a professional relationship based on the knowledge and understanding of my spiritual formation. My spiritual formation is important to the spiritual care I provide to others because I can use it to provide hope to the hopeless, by helping the patients find their own purpose in the midst of the pain and suffering.
References
Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2016). Dualism. Retrieved from
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dualism/#SubDua
Willard, D. (1991). The spirit of the disciplines: Understanding how God changes lives. New
York: Harper Collins.
