The question of hierarchy and arrangement in "higher realms" is a question which seeks to further reduce what we find difficult to comprehend because we can scarcely expand to meet it.
The analogy might be that we are 2D cartoon-characters in boxes, seeking to comprehend a 4D flow of life in space and time. I think it is an appropriate analogy. We must seek epiphany, not further reductionism. We embrace that all of our reductionist efforts must be variously wrong, as well as wholly inadequate.
As an aside, about 70% of people do most readily believe what the 2 people next to them believe. It seems to be a setting for a social species. Something like 5% may be of a nature to do their own situational assessment and act upon it, no matter what others believe. I'm set like that, not by choice or virtue, I'm just set that way. It has always made things difficult, notably with bullies as we moved from base to base when I was a kid.
So humans are like a whole ecosystem of grazing sheep, sheepdogs, shepherds and wolves, perhaps. It is a strained analogy these days...
Jesus himself was likened to a sheep on many occasions as the sacrificial lamb for the human race. Being born in a sheep-fold manger was no accident. Jesus said to "feed my sheep," so we can imagine that the metaphor holds as far as believers in Christ goes. The wolves are demiurgic, even archonic. In your metaphor, I suppose the ministers of the gospel would be the sheepdogs--pastors/shepherds.
Thank You, Cyd.
The question of hierarchy and arrangement in "higher realms" is a question which seeks to further reduce what we find difficult to comprehend because we can scarcely expand to meet it.
The analogy might be that we are 2D cartoon-characters in boxes, seeking to comprehend a 4D flow of life in space and time. I think it is an appropriate analogy. We must seek epiphany, not further reductionism. We embrace that all of our reductionist efforts must be variously wrong, as well as wholly inadequate.
As an aside, about 70% of people do most readily believe what the 2 people next to them believe. It seems to be a setting for a social species. Something like 5% may be of a nature to do their own situational assessment and act upon it, no matter what others believe. I'm set like that, not by choice or virtue, I'm just set that way. It has always made things difficult, notably with bullies as we moved from base to base when I was a kid.
So humans are like a whole ecosystem of grazing sheep, sheepdogs, shepherds and wolves, perhaps. It is a strained analogy these days...
Sounds about right...
Jesus himself was likened to a sheep on many occasions as the sacrificial lamb for the human race. Being born in a sheep-fold manger was no accident. Jesus said to "feed my sheep," so we can imagine that the metaphor holds as far as believers in Christ goes. The wolves are demiurgic, even archonic. In your metaphor, I suppose the ministers of the gospel would be the sheepdogs--pastors/shepherds.
I feel like a sheepdog to myself.