As a bit of a hypochondriac I’ve always been simultaneously amazed at how beautiful and marvelous our bodies are and how frail they are. The myriad of processes going on at any one moment in time without our knowledge or consent that keep us functioning, cells fighting wars and giving up their lives to fight unseen invaders, heart beating, kidneys filtering, nerves firing- all mini miracles. Yet, we are so fragile. We can only last a couple of weeks without food, a couple of days without water and a couple of minutes without breathing and it’s all over. We’re always one heartbeat from our heart possible not taking that next beat. And , if it stops, irreversible damage sets in almost immediately. There is no reboot, no reset. We are done.
As I study more and more about the afterlife, I am realizing that spiritual body Paul talked about is not just metaphorical. We don’t just become disembodied spirits. We seem to have an astral body analogous to this earthly vessel yet with much greater capabilities and less frailties. Breathing is optional, eating is optional. The bodies are incorruptible and strong and more able to sense. This brain that we so highly prize and marvel at is merely a governor for our true consciousness, actually dumbing it down, restricting it for our time here. It’s a reducing valve of sorts. Our consciousness doesn’t arise from our brains, it flows through it, but only so much can pass through. Once our conscious is freed from the organic structure inside our head, we can experience our true nature.
I’ve often bemoaned the frailties of our bodies. It’s an amazing design to be sure, but it’s so limited. Why do we have two lungs and two kidneys, but only one heart? What’s up with that? Why can’t we go more than a few minutes without oxygen? If my car runs out of gas it just stops running until I can put some more gas in it and fire up the engine again.
Our frailty is no mistake. It’s a reminder that life here isn’t the real life. We value and protect it because it is so precious and frail and fleeting. The body is frail and earthly life is fleeting, but death of the body isn’t the end, but a release into being who we truly are. Yes, the body is fragile but our lives are anything but. Take care of the body. Keep it healthy for as long as it’s here to serve you as your vehicle in this world, but it’s just a vehicle and the new one you will get someday is many model years ahead of it.
