Posted by Philoman on January 24, 19101 at 12:56:07:
Dear Friends,
I know this discussion board is supposed to be about spirituality, theology, and the like, but I just have to share with you something of a major breakthrough in understanding that happend to me a few days ago.
As many of you know, I am part-time spiritual director at our local retreat center, and part-time computer handyman for the same center, and for whoever else wants to pay me (at least a cup of coffee). Last Tuesday was one of those days when the geek role got a big work-out. I upgraded the operating system on my old Power Mac from OS 7.6.1 to OS 9.1, then, later in the day, I upgraded a couple of computers at the convent from Windows 95 to Windows 2000.
What struck me about the Mac upgrade was that everything had a new look, but the same basic interface. The icons had depth, the windows opened and closed more crisply, my connection to the Internet was finally stabilized, and the overall performance seems much more stable. Same goes for the Windows operating system (OS) upgrade: same basic look, but more stability, and quite a few new features that I haven't explored yet, as I spend most of my time on my Mac.
Enough computer talk already for some of you, I'm sure, but these upgrades helped me to understand the meaning of the Incarnation in a way I'd never done before. It was obvious, for example, that the older OS had not "gone away," as it were, but had been taken up, or integrated into the new. My Mac was still running a Mac OS, which had the same basic features as before, only now it seems to have new life. Same goes for the Windows upgrade, although I haven't run as much software on it yet.
What I thought about was how Christ did much the same with our human nature. By becoming incarnate as a man, he took our human nature and "upgraded it" into his human-divine nature. He is like a new OS that preserves the distinctive features of the old--our basic human OS--but elevates it to a new level of potentiality, energy and stability.
Here's another key insight: after upgrading to Mac OS 9.1, some of my old software wouldn't run at all, and I had to get newer versions. The analogy I drew was how in order for individual humans to live out of the Christ nature, our human nature must be transformed. "New wine, new wineskins," as Jesus put it.
I could go on, as I'm sure there are many other ways that the OS upgrade paradigm can be developed. Who knows but that it might even be a relevant way of articulating theology these days? I'm sure St. Thomas Aquinas would have used it! ; >}
So. . . if the board moderator has no objection, I'd like to propose that this discussion thread continue, if anyone's interested in this sort of thing, that is.
Peace,
Philoman (as in Philo-man)