A Metaphysical Worldview

Introduction

This is the second part of the Worldview Series. In it, I will explore Metaphysics, the study of a person's beliefs about the nature of reality.

Metaphysics

I have been pondering this subject for a lifetime as I set out to write a post about metaphysics. I'm not sure if I have truly grasped it…reality, that is. Of course, one can hitch their horse to many realities and ideologies.

I had a good friend when I was a teenager, and we would smoke a joint, ride around the local county lake, and have the most remarkable conversations about “metaphysics” yet I’m not so sure we knew what we were talking about. And I don’t think we got very far in those discussions, but we were contemplating the subject. He went on to seminary while I enlisted in the military. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident during his first semester of seminary, leaving me on a lifelong search for the metaphysical truth of the universe, seemingly by myself now, for fifty years. So here we go!

Postmoderns generally lack a proper understanding of reality, mainly since metaphysics explores existence, reality, and the essence of being human, and contemporary moderns are having a tough time of it for reasons we’ll discuss soon. Do you have it figured out? I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone who did and could effectively communicate it to me. That said, I'm uncertain if we can even start to comprehend the existence of this universe without establishing a couple of foundational principles: wisdom and understanding, as highlighted in the book of Colossians, chapter 2, verse 3. Let's examine it: “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding.”

When I read this passage a decade ago, it became clear that I had a long way to go before I truly understood. And why was “it” hidden in Christ? That is for later. My thesis statement is that for any of us to grasp our existence and what it truly means to be human, we must align ourselves with Christ and start there to get it right, or we risk being just another “lost” barbarian making tracks on planet Earth, ultimately dying without ever comprehending it at all. I can genuinely say I have known people who never figured it out and passed away as ignorant of the world as the day they arrived.

I have made a case for needing “that which is hidden in Christ, wisdom, and understanding” even to consider grasping the reality of being human. We are told in the epistles that we are in a predicament and need significant help navigating this world. This help comes from our Messiah, who possesses the wisdom and understanding essential for leading a successful and fulfilling life. While you might one day reach another planet, reality will follow you there. After all, Christ was involved in creating our current solar system. This gift awaits us if we ask God for it. Seeking His understanding of the full flowering of the gift of wisdom and understanding will take time; you will be tried, tested, and stretched to the point where you operate from a place of the proper grasp of reality—where you can function with maturity, grace, trust, and forgiveness as a wise and understanding human being, chosen and called.

To continue this line of thinking, it is appropriate to include a narrative of what this metaphysical understanding might look like for those searching! I am not qualified to lecture anyone, but I genuinely think I have been given a glimpse of “some” quality views of what to expect moving forward.

I need to add one more thing to this post, which I have shared with you previously. It concerns the cultural challenges of becoming wiser and more aware of the reality of being human in this postmodern world. If you have been reading my posts, you will be wise about where I am going with this thought. I feel a sense of urgency when speaking of our cultural challenges. The neurological compromise this culture has imposed on us is devastating and adds to the challenge of attaining that which is hidden in Christ. The compromise we are challenged with is being used as a tool to hold on to your very being and keep you in bondage, keep you enslaved. And how is this connected? The bondage due to your neurological compromise will make it very difficult to intellectually and spiritually receive the gift of understanding reality. In fact, it makes it nearly impossible to function well since you only use half of your neurological system to interpret the world and its inhabitants about you. He makes an excellent historical case for this. If this causes you to desire to know more, read Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary. The research is incomparable; primary resources comprise 20% of the pages.

Conclusion

As a man who just celebrated his seventieth birthday and recently discovered that he has been struggling with autism throughout his life, and more importantly, has asked many questions about the passages read in the Bible that didn’t make much sense, I needed to gain clarity on various matters while I still could. I have become adept at connecting the dots and synthesizing information and truths about life, people, cultures, and biblical realities. One question I was asked one day concerned my worldview. Could I articulate my worldview in a way that someone else would understand how I felt and thought about it? Along the way, many truths and facts came into focus, and here I am, attempting to piece it all together.

My worldview is being shaped as I type this and will continue to evolve until my last breath. I truly believe that God employs all the tools at His disposal to convey the gift of wisdom and understanding, enabling me to grasp the nature of reality. This encompasses the reality of who I am, what I stand for, the calling on my life, and the journey toward reconciling with my ontological temperament. He desires me to be a man whose life reflects the fruit of the Holy Spirit, a holy man, and a man who loves as He loves us! This is the true nature of reality offered to me, and to us. The reality is that one day we will all transition to an eternity of our choosing, and the rest of the story, the essence of reality, will come into perfect focus.