Saturday, September 15, 2012

Day 15: Spirit vs. Soul




When I first considered how to best describe my life-changing epiphany of the “secret” to total wellness, I specifically chose the phrase “Body, Mind & Spirit” over the more commonly used “Body, Mind and Soul” for various reasons. First and foremost, soul and spirit are not the same thing. Now this may be the most controversial chapter in the entire book, because folks have been taught to believe the soul and spirit are synonymous. Therefore, the idea that they are indeed different flies in the face of everything you’ve been taught. Even preachers preach this untruth and today I pray that darkness gives way to light. Perhaps the confusion stems from the fact that the Bible was originally translated from Hebrew to Greek to Latin and then later to English. The Greek word for “life” and “soul” is the same word psuche from which we get the word “psyche” (the human faculty for thought, judgment, and emotion). Pneuma is the Greek word for “spirit.”  Today we can set the record straight once and for all.

   In the movie The Usual Suspects, actor Kevin Spacey plays a brilliant enigmatic character named Keyser Soze. Late in the movie Soze offers one of Hollywood’s most unforgettable lines, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.” Wow! I submit that the second greatest trick Satan ever pulled was convincing the world that our soul and spirit were one in the same. On Day 15 we’ll discuss your spirit vs. soul.


About the Author: James Hackley is an author, inspirational speaker, and a philanthropist who earned a B.S. degree in Physics from Longwood College and an M.S. degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia.  He's the founder of Omega Consulting Enterprises, chaplain of a local chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and faithfully attends Holy & Whole Life Changing Ministries International in Lansdowne, Va. His latest book, Body, Mind & Spirit: The Awakening can be purchased by visiting him at www.jameshackley.com , www.Amazon.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.

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