The soon to be released movie Anonymous is a tale of intrigue revolving around the true author of Shakespeare's plays. Yes, conspiracy theory lovers unite! Shakespeare may be a well-established historic figure, but there has always been a small number that question his ability to write. After all, he was a noble, people question his education, and he...well, he wrote so many plays. Surely one mere mortal couldn't have achieved such a feat. Maybe it was a group people, or several hundred trained monkeys (but then, the typewriter hadn't yet been invented, so that's out of the running), or Francis Bacon (he could do anything).
So what do UFO's have to do with Shakespeare? For the same reason that some people have a hard time accepting Shakespeare's genius, people propose that aliens built the pyramids. How could we ever believe that humans could create something as cleaver as the pyramids? Of course humans couldn't have made it to the moon on their own, ancients couldn't have formed glass skulls, and what about that iPad?
Each case offers a small and petty view of humanity. Instead, we should be celebrating the unique wonder that is man and woman. We are the only animal on this planet capable of abstract reasoning. Other animals solve problems and make tools, but instead of jumping around a problem poking and prodding until we stumble on a solution, we sit down and think through the problem first (okay, I confess, when it comes to my computer, I start with picking and prodding). We are the only animal that makes tools to make other tools (think about it). We are the only animals that create our own, diverse political systems. For other animals it's hard wired into them. We are the only animals that practice fine arts (art that builds on itself from generation to generation). We adapt the environment to us as well as adapt to the environment.
All in all, that's pretty amazing. We have been made in the image of God. We are animals infused with the gift of spirit. The difference is worthy of celebration wherever we see it. Of course we could build the pyramids, go to the moon, even create the iPad (did I mention I was writing this on an iPad?). The gifts of God are to be appreciated.
It is the wonder of this gift that makes our use of it so tragic. There is so much power in this gift. The power to sail across space, and the power to destroy nations. We have done both, but we weren't created for both purposes.
The fact that we can do such harm does not mean that we need to run down or deny our humanity. The gift is good. We need to look for the problem elsewhere. The power that comes with the image of God requires divine wisdom, knowledge, and guidance to wield it properly.
Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely. God's wisdom, balance, beauty, and love are incorruptible, but ours is not. We lack the perspective and the perfection. God gave us the gift along with his guidance, but we decided we were wiser. I would suggest that history has already proved us wrong. But that doesn't mean the gift is evil in and of itself. We best celebrate our humanity when we return to its source. When we surrender to God's guidance, his wisdom, grace, beauty, and love. We find the fulfillment of humanity in the one who gave it to us in the first place.
So, I'd love to find a flying saucer in my backyard, but the Egyptians didn't need one to create the pyramids, and I don't find it difficult to believe Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays (they weren't all good plays after all). I choose to celebrate and fear this amazing gift we have been given by pursuing the One who gave it to me.
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