One of my favorite things to say to people: You are a divinely created, infinitely loved, spiritually indwelt, evolutionary, free-will son or daughter of God. I usually end my podcast episodes with this assurance. But what does the word “evolutionary” mean here? That each of us is a child of nature and a child of God, and that evolution—including the origin, history, and destiny of the cosmos, biological evolution, personal growth, and planetary progress—are all part of the Creator’s process for inviting us to become spirit-led. When I say that you are an “evolutionary” child of God I intend to do three things: Remind you of your imperfections (and mine, too—smile); invite you to develop a concept of God’s tremendous and wonderful plan for your growth in this life and beyond; and encourage you to contribute to evolution by biologically responsible living.
Photo of Elie Wiesel, one of the spiritual teachers of our time
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It is indeed good news to know that we are evolutionary children of a loving heavenly Father even though we remain materially apart of nature. The truth that we are children of the heavenly Father assures us that we can transcend nature even though we are a part of it. The heavenly Father has given us a spiritual nature as well as a material nature that makes this possible.
Thus there are two aspects of our evolutionary progress, one of the individual which is capable of transcending the material aspects of our selves, and one of the species, the group, which is also evolving as a part of nature. I like to think of the evolutionary progress of the individual as vertical evolution. This evolution of the soul though having its origin in the material mind continues on after the material vehicle disintegrates to eventually become spiritually perfected.
Then there is evolutionary progress of the species. The progress that the human race has made since its advent on earth speaks to this process. All around us we see this evolutionary progress of the group. I like to think of the evolutionary progress of the species as horizontal evolution. And this evolutionary progress of the group will continue until it becomes perfected just as the evolutionary progress of the individual will continue until the individual is perfected.
Faith is only required to participate in the vertical evolutionary progress of the individual, thus accepting God as our Father and acknowledging that we are his sons and daughters. Reproduction of ourselves materially is all that is required for us to participate in the horizontal progress of the species.
Be of good cheer! We will get there individually and group wise, the plan of God will bear fruit.
Dr. Perry
In times of national and planetary stress, it is nice to hear another voice of patient encouragement, with a very broad scientific, philosophical, and spiritual perspective.