If I exist in the present,
I have existed before.
If I existed before,
I will exist after.
And if I existed before and after,
I have existed forever.
I am not a plant;
I have a conscious.
I am not an animal;
I am a rational being.
When my current estate expires,
I will inhabit another shell.
I am not confined by these walls;
My spirit was created to roam free.
I am the circle of life,
I am a journey without end.
I am boundless,
I am eternal.
By: ElRoyPoet © 2024
What is the purpose of man?
What’s the reason for being born on this earth? Christians believe that they were in Heaven before they were born and that they will return upon death. Did we come from the spiritual to the physical just to return to the spiritual? All believers know that for the spirit to live, the flesh must die! Wouldn’t it have been much easier to have stayed in Heaven with our Creator and Savior than to live in jeopardy of losing our souls in this wicked world?
Do you believe that we came to this earth to be tested? Do overcoming daily temptations and doing good deeds prove that we are faithful and worthy to return? “What does it profit, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14). Is all that is needed to profess that we accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ to live in Heaven forever? “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Do you have somebody to love? Are you trying to be lovable? I know this can be difficult, especially for young adults who still haven’t found someone, or for mature adults who never became parents. But there is still time! “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11).
I believe we were born on this earth to receive a human body. Inside the body is a human heart that has the capacity to love. “The Only Begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (1 John 4:9). I believe that the true test of our earthly existence is whether we will choose to love. I also believe that the reason Jesus came to earth to become our Savior is to show us how to love, for when we love somebody, we give of our physical selves.
Spiritual beings are incapable of expressing affection for someone because they are unable to give of themselves. That is the point of why we had to be born of earthly parents—to receive a human heart—and now all we must do is find somebody to love. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Exploring Mortality: Philosophical and Biblical Perspectives
The poem presents a profound exploration of existence, consciousness, and the circle of life. The speaker reflects on the notion of being an eternal entity — one that has existed in different forms and will continue to do so. As we delve into the philosophical and biblical references that support this theme, we can see how they converge and diverge in their understanding of existence, consciousness, and the nature of eternity.
Philosophical Perspectives
Philosophy has long grappled with the questions of existence and the nature of the self. The opening lines of the poem assert a cyclical nature of existence: “If I exist in the present, / I have existed before.” This notion parallels the philosophy of preexistence, notably found in Platonic thought, where the soul is seen as eternal and existing in a realm of ideals before inhabiting a physical body. Plato’s Theory of Forms suggests that the essence of beings transcends physical existence, resonating with the poem’s assertion of existence beyond the present.
Furthermore, philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche explored the idea of eternal recurrence, questioning the implications of living the same life repeatedly. In this view, our choices in the present carry profound weight as they ripple through time without end. The poem encapsulates this idea in the lines: “I have existed forever,” emphasizing that one’s “spirit roams free” beyond temporal limitations. The acknowledgment of rationality, distinguishing the speaker from animals or plants, reflects Descartes’ famous declaration, “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”). This self-awareness forms the crux of understanding one’s existence, highlighting the interplay between consciousness and the eternal journey.
Biblical Perspectives
In contrast to philosophical contemplation, biblical references offer a different lens through which to understand existence and eternity. The concept of the soul’s eternal nature is rooted in scripture. In the book of Ecclesiastes (3:11), it is stated, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart.” This aligns with the poem’s assertion of boundlessness and the idea that life transcends physical limitations. The biblical worldview suggests a divine purpose that frames human existence within a broader narrative of creation and afterlife.
The statement “When my present estate expires, / I will inhabit another shell” resonates with the Christian belief in resurrection and the afterlife. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15 about the transformation of the body at resurrection, which can be interpreted as inhabiting a new form after the current life has concluded. Such beliefs emphasize continuity, although framed within a divine context, contrasting philosophical individualism with theological purpose.
Bridging the Perspectives
While philosophical traditions predominantly focus on self-awareness and the continuity of consciousness, biblical views anchor existence in a cosmic and divine narrative. Both perspectives ultimately lead to the same conclusion: existence is far more than the mortal physical realm. The poem illustrates this intersection beautifully, with lines like “I am the circle of life,” symbolizing an alignment with nature as diverse as philosophical musings or biblical teachings.
“For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My Word that proceeds from My Mouth will not return to Me void, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)
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