Flesh vs. Spirit, Not the Other Way Around

Some recent discussions about things Paul and Peter said popped in my head, triggered by another discussion. See, there’s this thought in our heads that the spirit is concerned about the things of the flesh. Really, the only thing concerned with “the flesh” is flesh trying to portray itself as spiritual. Paul talks about their ends being contrary to each other, and truly, they are.

Now, I say flesh, and by flesh I mean something similar to ego, because the ego seeks for its own benefit. The ego looks inward, “How do I look? How do I appear to others?” And it is motivated to act and behave in order to justify its own responses.

The spirit can be said to have an origin apart from us. That is, it isn’t generated by us, and so it does nothing to feed the ego. The spirit does not seek to be its own source, but the flesh seeks to be the source in order to reap the recognition.

In some ways, the flesh and the spirit can seem to be working in the same direction, but this is the game of the flesh, to appear as if the spirit is at work. Its aim is instead to feed the inward looking, “Don’t I look spiritual?” The ultimate expression of the spiritual ego-trip is the assumption that if we all worked to look spiritual in the same way (even extant of the concept of God), we could really achieve some good.

Really, the thought behind the curtain is the flesh saying, “If everyone thought/acted the way I do, everything would be much better.”

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…I am the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz…err, aren’t I spiritual…oh, damn!

Posted by: HarryTick™ on 17. March 2008, 22:07 |