People are interesting. Have you ever thought that every person you pass has a story, a soul, and a whole life behind them and in front of them? It’s a crazy thought, though cliche. It’s also a very Biblical one.

Souls

Everyone has a soul. The definition of soul has always been hazy. It’s different than your spirit, but it’s not just your personality and mind. It’s your essence and what makes you you. Which again sounds cliche, but this will make sense in a moment. Your soul is the culmination of your thoughts and emotions and personality, and it is formed by the years of life history behind you. My 18 years of living is what has shaped my soul. 

The thing is, our souls are complicated and beautiful things, it is something only God can fully understand. This is something I’ve been thinking about during my first weeks at college. When I first met my roommates, I immediately started to make assumptions about their character. Guessing what they would be like, and honestly I stereotyped them. It was just something subconscious I did. But after the first few weeks we started sharing testimonies. We got a glimpse of the history behind their souls, and I started to see what beautiful people they were on the inside. I hit me how wonderful an experience it is to know somebody, to know somebody so much you are struck by the beauty of their own soul. And you love being with them not because they’re interesting, or funny, or they bring something substantial to the friendship- no, the relationship ceases being a material one, and starts growing. You love them for their soul. 

Another thing is that we will never really get to know everyone fully. Plato in his Cave Dialogue, in the book Republic, he talks about how life is like a cave, where shadows of the world are cast on the wall, but the people never see the real objects. We as humans can never see the full picture of someone’s soul, only God can. The Bible talks about this in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” As humans, we rarely see the full picture of the world, and we get glimpses of souls.

But there is a beauty to this. The idea that all souls are so complex and three dimensional to the point where we cannot comprehend it- it is an amazing thing. There is power behind those souls. And when those souls are aligned together, for Christ, it is a force. In Acts 1:3, Paul mentions the kingdom of God. I always used to picture the kingdom of God as just heaven. After a word study, the term refers to the people more than the place. The kingdom of God is made up of the souls of believers. Hundreds upon hundreds of souls, in all their beauty, united into one kingdom. It’s a wonderful thought, and terrifying to all that oppose the kingdom. We truly have nothing to fear from man, just as the Bible said.

So what do we do with this? I really just threw you a bunch of thoughts, but there is an application. 

Appreciate

We open our eyes and appreciate the beauty of the souls around us, even with the little glimpses we get. Once we see the souls, that brings us closer to the kingdom.

Prayer

Sometimes I think we forget what church is for. It’s not just a place to walk in and walk out- it’s where we get to know souls. Where we pray for each other, and talk and love each other. The kingdom of God is no good without the unity of the people.

Evangelize 

Recognizing the beauty of the souls in the kingdom is reflected outward. We then realize that every soul is beautiful, with purpose and a story. And it is a story that needs to be redirected to Christ. 

Every soul is beautiful and made by God, and we will never realize the full beauty till we are resurrected to heaven. Till then, may we look for the sneak peaks of glory and love the kingdom of God. It seems like a simple thing, thinking about souls, but it is one we should consider.