Natural Instincts

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. Ephesians 2:10
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In philosophy, there has long been a debate; are we born "noble savages" whose inherent goodness is polluted by society, as the 18th century Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau asserted? Or are we really just more evolved animals whose inherent selfishness must be tamed by society, as the 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes thought?
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The "Lutheran" answer is....YES. We are simultaneously inherent saints who know how to care for others and at the same time selfish sinners who are always looking out for ourselves.
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We are created in the image of God. The "saintly" parts of us are an (imperfect) reflection of divine characteristics. And earlier this year, there were a couple of interesting scientific studies published that suggest we might be more "hard-wired" for altruism that previously thought.
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The studies found that when certain portions of the brain were muted...the portions responsible for thinking before acting...people were more altruistic, kind, and generous.
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Think of the inherent aversion we all have to the sound of children crying. From a merely biological standpoint, the sound itself can cause a mother's body to respond in milk production. There is something in each one of us...the scriptures would call it the "image of God"...that leads us to care for others.
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Today, my prayer is that God move in my heart and in yours to open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Maybe one of your coworkers or neighbors could use a listening ear. Maybe a distant family member would be touched by a phone call or a letter out of the blue.
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Maybe, as the scripture above suggests, this is actually who we have been created to be. It's in our bones. It's in our DNA. Today, may it be in our minds, in our words, and in our actions.
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PRAYER:
God, stir us to gratitude this day. Stir us to love. Help us to be who you have created us to be; fully human, and reflecting your care for all. Amen.