We are all descendents of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman created by God. As time progressed and human population increased, the offsprings scattered to different parts of the world. As time passed, the landmass of the earth also underwent transformation. While some land masses broke away from each other, others floated towards other land mass and in the course of time became conjoined and became ultimately one massive land mass. The present form, position and topography of the earth which we know today was probably established after many years of slow but constant drifting and transformation of the land mass. And ultimately we came to have the present continents of the world with its distinct land features separate and identifiable from one another. And along with this constant transformation of the earth’s geography, human migration also continued unabated. Humans migrated in search of food, shelter and favorable living conditions like availability of water and pleasant weather. In this way, today we come to see the mongoloid people occupying the middle and south eastern parts of Asia, the Caucasians occupying Europe and North America and the Negros in Africa.
We may never be able to know why people of different races look so distinct from one another if we are all descendants of Adam and Eve. But it is an observable fact that humans are all basically the same morally, emotionally and in terms of our spirituality though there are marked differences in our physical features and appearance. For instance, what is considered good and noble in the East is also considered the same in the West, North and South. And though there may be physical differences, our ability to reason and differentiate between good and evil is probably the determining factor which categorizes all of us as humans and set us apart from other beings. Though some may say that humans are also animals in a sense, nobody can deny that human beings are much more superior to other animals in their intellect. And therefore, no matter in what god or religion one believes, I guess no humans will find it hard to believe the Biblical assertion that “man was created in the image of God”.
In every culture and amongst all people, the search for the Supreme Being is a natural phenomenon. Throughout man’s long history, the belief that there must be a God somewhere out there has been its constant companion. And in the absence of any clarity, people began started creating their own image of God along with their own versions of doctrines, theology and religion. And this was how different beliefs and religions started cropping up. And the belief in different gods or religion also made people do crazy things which have no logical explanations.
In the course of time, some mortal beings also appeared along the way and started teaching the people after claiming to have encountered God or received enlightenment. They were able to accumulate massive followings and became like god themselves. Buddha was one such fellow.
Buddha was born into royalty but he became disillusioned at a young age and ventured out on his own in search of the ultimate truth. He claimed to have received enlightenment after meditating for many days sitting under a tree. He was frustrated because he saw that life was full of sorrows and struggles, every man grows old and everyone ultimately dies. It was with a view to find answers to these dilemmas that Buddha ventured out of his house.
The reality and mystery of death is a phenomenon which has confronted all people, society and cultures down the ages. Why do we all die and what happens after death are the two fundamental and universal questions which have encountered every human being at one point or the other. And it is our quest for this kind of answers which has made us to come up with our own ideas and beliefs about a so-called god and frame our own religion, doctrines and theology.
Then there is the idea and practice of racism. The world population is divided into 4 major races. Though we may claim to have a common origin as humans, it is observable that we are all different. And everybody seems to be proud of their races and from this comes the tendency to consider our own race as superior to those of others.
The Hindus believe that theirs is a culture which is over four thousand years old and that it is a culture inferior to none. So they want to preserve their so-called rich culture at all cost and pass it on to the future generation. In the course of history, the Hindu culture has been infiltrated many times with new ideas, new beliefs and new cultures. And the Hindus themselves saw firsthand the brilliance or even superiority of some of these foreign ideas, beliefs and cultures. But they think that it would be a sign of defeat if they let these ideas and beliefs become a part of their culture and life. And so they remain adamant. For instance, when the Apostle reached with the gospel, the people at first might not have seen anything to worry about. But some probably grew suspicious against the intent of this new foreign message and that was why Thomas was murdered here in India. But in course of time, this new foreign message did take root somehow even in this strange land.
But despite all our differences, if we all do have a common origin, the logical conclusion would be that there must also be a common destiny for all of us. We all believe there must be a God, we all are confronted by the reality and mystery of death and we all can see that we are far superior than other beings and that we must be put here for a greater purpose. Likewise, I guess we can also all easily believe that human beings are created in the image of God. And therefore, if we have so much commonality, the conclusion of our destiny also must come from this commonality.
And I believe that the answers to all these common ideas, fears, concerns and imaginations can be conclusively found in the bestselling book of all times i.e., the Holy Bible. Humans the world over and down the ages have been fascinated with how it must have all begun. And the Bible says that it all began in the Garden of Eden where God put the first man and woman. Our reasoning power also tells us that humans are not just animals occupying space here on earth and that humans do not and should not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out from the mouth of our Creator. And that is exactly what the Bible says when it says that man was created in the image of God Himself to be a source of joy and happiness to Him and reign with Him. So, no matter what your faith or religion, are these too hard to believe if you have reasoning power?
The ultimate reality which all has to encounter sooner or later is death…there is no escape from this. Man has accomplished marvelously in the field of science, technology and medicine. But till now, scientists and researchers have not discovered the medicine to prevent death or resurrect someone from death. Yes, the reality and mystery of death have boggled the human mind since time immemorial. And the Bible is the only book which not only conclusively and fantastically answers these questions but also demonstrated that there is power over death.
Likewise, till today, no medicine has been discovered which can reverse ageing. Buddha was sad and frustrated because he saw that everyone grows old. But the Bible says that our days are numbered and that every day is a gift from God and that God’s mercies are new everyday and that there is also a place where we will never grow old. And as such we should not think about adding years to our lives but think about adding life to our years.
Therefore, despite all our differences, the questions and matters that confront and stare us in the face are the same. And so, since our issues are the same, it is highly probable that we all originated from the same source. But in course of time, we drifted apart from one another and that was how some started to believe we probably have different destinations.
In the same way, I believe that, whether it is in the field of creation, evolution, sociology or political journey, if we have a common origin and purpose, then we should and must also have a common destiny… to make our journey logical and conclusive.
