Human beings have vivid imaginations. Hence we’ve got mythologies up the wazoo. People have dreamt up a variety of stories for explaining the unexplained and to help them achieve at least the perception of control over the world around them.

If we sacrifice a virgin, that will pacify the rain god, and he will let loose his bladder of natural irrigation.

A common multi-purpose concept still kicking today is “the spirit.”  The word has its origins in “to breathe.”  As in respiration, inspiration, expiration and toke.

For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4 – New Living Translation)

When a person in ancient times fell over and died, it was plain to see that they had stopped breathing. They lost their breath; no longer did they respirate.

Is this how “spirit” acquired the connotation of being some pure and essential up-force?  If you are spiritual, you have plenty of up-force.  When you die, you fall down: your up-force has left you.

A person can be so spiritual they just about sprout wings and sail, higher and higher, to the most high perch there is. Up–good. Down–bad. Got that?  Perhaps it is written in our primitive, arboreal DNA: down is dangerous. Down is the place of lions, tigers, bears, and tax forms. Down is the place of the clashing and gnashing of teeth. Up is good.  Move upwards and you shall be free of danger. You shall be safe, for ever and ever, amen.

When a person falls down drunk and can’t get up, do we say they have lost their spirit, their up-force? No. (We might say they’ve ingested too many rounds of fine spirits.) We know their brain has malfunctioned. Likewise, when a person is shot in the head and they crumple in a heap to the pavement, the reason for the fall is the disruption of brain activity. To the modern mind “brain death” means death, the final lie-down. Does the person never rise again because their up-force has left them?

During a physical exam, have you ever had a physician check your vitals to determine the strength of the most vital of the vitals, the spiritual up-force? Looks like you’ve got a weak spirit, Andrew.  Try to cut down on the cheeseburgers and get some exercise. And don’t forget to pray–which is calisthenics for the spirit.

“Spirit” originated in the mistaken notion that a person’s life-force was embodied and carried by their personal wind. Yet besides the warm and fuzzy feelings it can provide, spirituality is just so much hot air.  Jeremiah 5:13 puts it perfectly: The prophets are all windbags. They speak nothing but nonsense (The Message Bible).

I did not make that up. Okay, I’ve quoted it out of context. But what is the context but yet more words of ancient windbags?

Some people believe that without spirituality life has no meaning. I don’t think so. Life can be fulfilling and meaningful without needing to be described with that particular word.  ”Spirituality” is little more than something to fill a balloon with.

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