Improving the Human Condition
Spiritual influence over material possessions
Examining the world stage can be daunting. We see greed and self-interest overshadowing human harmony. Global leaders compete for economic and political power while their countrymen stagger under the weight of poverty. Is this the ultimate fate of man?
I, for one, do not think so. I have found in scripture a verse that, at least in my understanding, speaks to the eventual outcome of this global brawl.
Speaking to His Creation, the Almighty turned, “To the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: ‘Come both of you [together], willingly or [unwillingly]’. They said: ’We come [together] obediently.’” (Qur’an41:11).
The proposition of heaven and earth submitting to Divine Will is also expressed in Luke 11:2. “When ye pray, say, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven, so [too] in earth.”
Let us examine these verses metaphorically. We can think of heaven as the spiritual domain. When heaven was smoke suggests a time in which spiritual guidance was obscured from man’s conscious mind.
Heaven, the sky, is not influenced by the earth. The sun draws water from lakes and oceans to produce rain, but the sky remains independent, even with clouds present. I think of this as the Almighty’s Divine influence over the affairs of man.
Earth is representative of material possessions that influence our lives. These cravings affect our job choices, our desire to accumulate wealth, and our influence over others.
Earth is also independent. Rain falls from heaven and brings forth new vegetation, but the earth remains separate from the sky; they do not combine or mix such as soil and water to form mud.
The above verses remind us that the Almighty created both heaven and earth with unique characteristics. Although they exist independently, they must come together. The spiritual and the material domains must work in harmony for the good of humanity.
Now let us highlight, “coming together willingly or unwillingly.” because this concept is important to understand. Some people are engaged in the material world: acquiring wealth and power. In so doing, they ignore Divine moral injunctions. Those who ignore material possessions in favor of spiritual affairs are juxtaposed to these.
The Almighty says it makes no difference; we may want to devote our lives to either the material or the spiritual world, He will bring both domains together. We may oppose it but His Will rules supreme over our own.
On our global stage, there are examples of these two perspectives. Greedy and power-hungry individuals and nations dominate the less powerful without regard for Divine laws. Similarly, religious extremists attempt to impose their worldviews on others of different faiths.
The above verses assure us that neither will be successful. All that is in heaven and earth are under the control of the Almighty; He alone can bring humanity together willingly or unwillingly.
So, even though it may seem, at times, as though “crime” (unchecked greed and self-interest) does pay, know, with certainty, that the Almighty is in control and neither those who desire economic and political power nor those desiring religious domination will govern the world. The Almighty will force us to a harmonious existence of tolerance and mutual respect. Together we must prepare to embrace this.
