Becoming Fully Human: Living the Bible with God, Each Other, and the Environment

Spiritual Life, Spring 2005 by Flynn, D M

Becoming Fully Human: Living the Bible with God, Each Other, and the Environment. By Walter Vogels, Novalis: Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada. 2003. Pp. 150. Paper. $16.95.

"When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child" (1 Cor 13:11a). As children, we thought the world was simple. Those of us who learned the Baltimore Catechism accepted its clear-cut questions and straightforward answers. And like the people of the Bible, we never doubted the existence of God.

With the arrival of adolescence, we put aside childish things. But alas, the world was no longer so simple. Perhaps we doubted the existence of God or, at least, pondered how a loving, compassionate deity could allow suffering, war, and death. Adulthood brought new complexities and new uncertainties. We are bombarded with news of researchers who tout extraordinary medical breakthroughs without first considering their ethical implications. Advances in technology have raised hopes for a brighter future but have also polluted our planet and provoked potent debates.

When life becomes complicated, people of faith turn to the Bible for answers. Still, can texts that are thousands of years old provide the guidance we seek? Did the biblical authors-who knew nothing of health care much less computers-address the sensitive moral issues that plague us today?

"The Bible contains a certain number of fundamental life principles or life attitudes and deep human values that transcend time and culture. These principles provide no ready answers to specific questions, but they point in a certain direction. The Bible depicts a life ideal. Each culture, each generation, even each individual must discover how to apply these basic principles to live biblically today" (p. 19).

In one hundred and fifty pages, Walter Vogels guides readers as they endeavor to live the biblical ideal. The author of dozens of books in both English and French, Vogels is professor emeritus of Theology at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. Do not be intimidated by his scholarly background, however. While this volume is hardly light reading, it is written for a lay audience. If you can comprehend the essays in this journal, then you can follow Vogels' train of thought.

The book begins with an overview of the Bible, its translations, its uses, and abuses. Each of the three chapters examines one aspect of living according to the Bible. The first facet is openness to God, the second is solidarity with others, and the third is respect for nature. The conclusion of the book reviews the proceeding chapters, ties them together, and points the reader toward the future.

The first chapter bids us to contemplate our relationship with God: "God is with us! This assurance echoes throughout the whole Bible, emphasizing that God and humanity are in an intimate relationship. It is in this relationship that we discover who and what we are. But this discovery requires openness to God" (p. 23). This openness calls us to be people of integrity. It urges us to seek God in others, in nature, and in our own conscience. When we hear God's voice, we are invited to accept it and faithfully follow it: "Living according to the Bible does not lead to a static and passive life, but to a dynamic and active life of fresh commitments and new discoveries. And that is the excitement of biblical living" (p. 65).

None of us lives in a vacuum; we need each other. The second chapter thus beckons us to consider our relationships with each other. Each of us is created in the image of God. Therefore, to live biblically means to admire the value of others and to recognize their individuality. And when our relationships are broken, as often happens, we have a choice: to live in a state of discord or to begin the difficult task of restoring harmony. Reconciliation requires a willingness on both sides: "One has to admit and repair, the other has to forgive" (p. 105).

The third chapter invites us to reflect on our relationship with nature. The ancient Israelites lived close to the land. With our indoor existence, climate controlled buildings, and advanced methods of food preservation, we have lost touch with nature and the seasons. To live biblically requires us to accept responsibility for nature, to care for our planet rather than trash it. And since God rested from the work of creation, we, too, are called to rest: "If God rested, humanity, which is the image of God, and to whom God has entrusted his creation, is also called to rest, and to look back on its work and to see what it has done to God's creation" (p. 142).

The conclusion is short and to the point. The author reviews the life principles he has identified and demonstrates how they are linked to the triple relationship of openness to God, solidarity with others, and respect for nature: "We live with hopes and expectations, with disappointments and failures. We live with joy and pain. These are mostly caused through our relationships-with God, with others or with nature" (p. 148).