I am currently reading "The Phenomenon of Man" Originally published in in English in 1959. It is written by Jesuit, theologian and man of science, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. De Chardin sought a framework that would bring science and religion together. De Chardin is a complex and fresh thinker. Because his ideas were unorthodox, the church forbid the publication of many of his works, including "The Phenomenon of Man" during his lifetime. "Phenomenon of Man" was published in 1955, four years after De Chardin's death.
I was only on page 51, when De Chardin's musings prompted a revelation in me. The curious thing is that it has been in front of me for years. When he sets the groundwork for his approach to evolution and the development of man, he references chemical equations. He states, "What is gained on one side is lost on the other. Nothing is constructed except at the price of an equivalent destruction." Having written and solved many equations in organic chemistry, I can picture equations in my head. Whatever you did to one side you had to do to the other. Change happened, yes. Yet chemical change is this: It is transformation NOT extinction. This got me thinking about, not chemicals, but death and the afterlife.
The basic laws of chemistry and science tell us that there is a balance that is maintained. Who am I to argue? Up to now, I have simply relied on faith and intuition when I think about death. I feel that there is something after this life. I sense it in my heart. However, De Chardin's words and direction have me thinking. What if death is a process and energy is expended and transformed, not extinguished? To pick up on his evolutionary thread, what if death is merely the next step in an evolution of ourselves? Could it be an evolution where unencumbered by a physical body, we are more fully ourselves? I like to think that when we cross over, or go home, we are more alive than we ever were.
I had no idea that "The Phenomenon of Man" would be so rich and thought provoking. Pick it up and see what you think. It is meaty. It is slow going at times, but the rewards are abundant. You will appreciate De Chardin's mind and stimulate your own.
I was only on page 51, when De Chardin's musings prompted a revelation in me. The curious thing is that it has been in front of me for years. When he sets the groundwork for his approach to evolution and the development of man, he references chemical equations. He states, "What is gained on one side is lost on the other. Nothing is constructed except at the price of an equivalent destruction." Having written and solved many equations in organic chemistry, I can picture equations in my head. Whatever you did to one side you had to do to the other. Change happened, yes. Yet chemical change is this: It is transformation NOT extinction. This got me thinking about, not chemicals, but death and the afterlife.
The basic laws of chemistry and science tell us that there is a balance that is maintained. Who am I to argue? Up to now, I have simply relied on faith and intuition when I think about death. I feel that there is something after this life. I sense it in my heart. However, De Chardin's words and direction have me thinking. What if death is a process and energy is expended and transformed, not extinguished? To pick up on his evolutionary thread, what if death is merely the next step in an evolution of ourselves? Could it be an evolution where unencumbered by a physical body, we are more fully ourselves? I like to think that when we cross over, or go home, we are more alive than we ever were.
I had no idea that "The Phenomenon of Man" would be so rich and thought provoking. Pick it up and see what you think. It is meaty. It is slow going at times, but the rewards are abundant. You will appreciate De Chardin's mind and stimulate your own.
