Lesson 5 ~ Spiritualism ~ Faith and Learning

Defining Spiritualism

Lesson #5 ~ Spiritualism ~ Faith and Learning ~ Essay

By: Rev. Trent Murman

 

Faith and Learning

I feel thought is the ability to reason out a situation and make an informed decision whether you are going to proceed on this particular path or divert to an alternate route.  It is something that is nontangible.  I believe it is mostly like that little voice you hear inside you that speaks to you when are about to do right or wrong and guides us onto the right path because of what we have learned on this journey called life.  

A scientist might define "thought" in a very different way….not being able to see, touch, smell or hear (except for that little voice inside us), I believe they would somehow molecularize it into a stable atom.  After all the thought was formed within the molecular structure of our brain so therefore it must be of a molecular structure.  The ability to have these "thoughts" is what greatly divides us from the most primitive of animals.  Every moment of the day or of your existence is bombarded by the thought process.  Now if the scientists could only make that into a solid or tangible entity they too might believe in thought as existing.

I believe that if one has a premise to have a thought and then refuses to be open minded to any concept opposing his then he has stopped learning.  So, thought and learning do go hand-in-hand.  This is when we need to remember to be good listeners and realize all persons are capable of having their own opinions and humble enough that we might not be always right. Remember that everyone has an opinion and if we are not open to listening to other opinions then learning is thwarted and we ultimately stop learning.

When ministering the greatest aspect is not to necessarily change anothers opinion to your way of thinking, but to give them another avenue or premise to consider.  What they do with this premise should be totally up to them. 

  Why do doctors wear white lab coats?  Why do biologist and other such scientists wear white lab coats while working in their labs?  They could wear anything and still do their jobs but they instead wear the white lab coats, why?  It is true doctors and other lab workers do wear this white lab coat as a status symbol.  It differentiates them between others.  However, let me present to another theory related to this.  In the medical settings there are many microbes and potential infectious organisms,  As the health conscious lab or doctor does his work within the healing process the white lab coats are also worn to thwart any spillage on the workers civilian clothes and this way infectious organisms or germs are not taken out of the lab, hospital or medical office home to their families or anyone else they may come in contact with.  These lab coats are usually laundered by the hospital or institution so they are not taken home and put with the family laundry so contamination is not passed on to the family clothes.

WOW, that was quite an analogy referencing "a trip to the doctors", this is one view I have never considered, but theoretically it was spot on. 

And, yes we as ministers should be "content" in having given the sheep something to think about.  On the flip side of that they also give us many things to think about and ponder.  We should act like investigators when one of our sheep present us with a situation or contemplation we should be able to put the ball back into their court,  not necessarily telling them what they should or how they should think, but giving them the opportunity to evaluate another theory…thus giving them and us the chance to learn. 

Go In Peace