new church life: jan uary/february 2015
the three-story mind
The human mind also has three levels: the spiritual, the rational and the
natural. And again, the function of the middle level is to connect the higher
and lower levels, and serve as a conduit by which the love and wisdom that
flow into the top level from the Lord can be brought down into the natural
level and transform it.
We can see, then, how similar and related are the uses of the rational level
of the mind and the moral condition of individuals and of a society.
The rational part of the mind is at first just open below, enabling us to
understand and manipulate the natural knowledges that reside in the lower
level of the mind. But the Divine plan is for it to be opened to the influx of
spiritual light and warmth coming down through the spiritual mind above, in
which case it becomes a spiritual-rational and can bring a whole new, distinctly
human quality to how we see things naturally.
(WEO)
wisdom in men
Male wisdom begins with a “love of truth,” but there are many different kinds
of intelligence that fall under the general heading of men’s “wisdom.” Wisdom,
therefore, is not just something saints and scholars have, but something every
man needs and can attain to in various ways.
There are two basic kinds of male wisdom: intellectual and moral.
(Conjugial Love 163-164) Intellectual or rational wisdom has to do with
understanding, while moral wisdom involves both understanding and how
we actually live.
The fact that men have a particular responsibility to cultivate moral
wisdom might come as a surprise to many people. Men, especially young men,
sometimes behave in less than rational and moral ways – as is often portrayed
and even celebrated in movies.
But there is another side to manhood – spiritual, idealistic, rational – that
also appeals to men, including idealistic young men. Moral wisdom, springing
from the love of God and the neighbor, is the more positive and constructive
side of the male character. Young men need to be taught that this is the real
challenge of manhood, and that they have a special contribution to make to
the moral fiber of society.
(WEO)
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