Learning to Live on Earth Like Humans

I came across a quote from the poet George Bernard Shaw that captivated me, especially the last line-

“Now that we have learned to fly in the air like birds and dive into the sea like fish,

Only one thing remains-

To learn to live on earth as humans.”

Think with me…what does it mean to live like humans?

Perhaps a place to start is by looking at what inhumanity is. The Oxford dictionary describes this as: brutality, barbarousness, callousness. Can we add to those adjectives? Cruel, selfish, cold-blooded, hateful, heartless…

But before we become too judgmental of others, and ourselves, let us remember that we are not born inhumane – life can be very cruel and can turn a cute kid into someone that has lost their humanity.

What then does true humanity look like? Think of a person that you might have met in your life that has qualities that are noble, protective, true, compassionate, warm, loving, non-judgemental, not perfect but never malicious.. What impact did that person have on you?  Did you feel safe with that person?

I wonder what our present world would rate on the “humanity scale” today? Wars destroying innocent lives, and devastating countries, the inhumanity of human trafficking, youth crime, sophisticated crime cartels, domestic violence, and many more inhumane behaviours….

However, before we become too negative, let us remember that just as there is inhumanity there are many examples of extraordinary, and ordinary, daily acts of compassion, self-sacrificing endeavours to improve the well-being of others, and genuine love and care..

The bible is full of stories both types of people and all those that fall in-between but it also has given us a picture of someone that was fully human in the best sense of the word; Jesus.

Just think of His qualities as revealed when he lived on earth- he had incredible compassion, but was quite clear about behaviours that were damaging, e.g. he did not lecture the prostitute but said to her “go and sin no more”, he wept over Jerusalem, in the bible Peter, the disciple said, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats..” He could have called on legions of angels to rescue him and destroy his enemies, but he did not. Even on the cross he said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!”

If we want to be truly human let us study the lives of truly great people who have lived, but most of all let us study the life of Jesus and imitate Him.

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A Few Jokes To Smile About…

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Characteristics of Self-Accepting Individuals