The Opening Statement
A Discussion of Life, God, and Our Natural Order
Natural Order
Throughout this discussion, I will often refer to finding peace, harmony, or other terms that describe a state of complete fulfillment. True spiritual fulfillment—and the feelings associated with it—are, in many ways, indescribable.
At some point, it occurred to me that the desire for fulfillment and the sensation of being fulfilled might not be unique to humans at all. It may be shared, in some form, by every particle in the universe. My friends who understand physics far better than I do may wince at this analogy, but I will press on.
This was another major revelation. It was not merely something I learned; it was something I felt and repeatedly validated. I believe it plays a central role in my understanding of the meaning of life. This could easily become a discussion of its own, but for now, I will try to condense it.
I will borrow the term Natural Order and expand its meaning so we can attempt to describe it. In its simplest form, Natural Order is an advanced state of being: at peace, fulfilled, at rest, in harmony, or in perfect alignment.
It seems to me that everything in the universe is either in its Natural Order or seeking it. When an outside force disrupts that order, the instinct to restore it is almost unstoppable. Objects, people, and living systems react with whatever capacity they possess to correct the disturbance and return to balance.
Consider a guitar string.
At rest, it remains motionless until a force is applied—a pluck. That force stretches the string and pulls it in one direction. The string then uses all available means—tension, gravity, air resistance—to counter the disturbance and return to rest.
Momentum causes it to overcorrect, pulling past its original position. This oscillation continues, resonating back and forth with diminishing force until the string finally settles again to its Natural Order. It seems fitting that in musical notation, the symbol for Natural Order is called a rest.
My knowledge of physics is limited and largely observational, but I suspect that a rubber ball dropped onto a concrete floor would suffer a similar fate. It strikes the ground, rebounds, overcorrects, and continues bouncing with decreasing energy until it finally comes to rest on the floor—its Natural Order.
This instinctive drive toward balance appears throughout life, not just in physics. I will submit that all human behavior is driven by the desire to resolve conflict and return to a Natural Order.
For example, hunger creates conflict; eating resolves it—unless we overreact, creating new conflicts to resolve.
Once I recognized this pattern, I no longer felt the need to explain my behavior—or the behavior of others—as the result of some evil force compelling us to act against our will.
The devil did not make us do it!
In the Creator’s wisdom, the universe itself appears to be wired with instincts designed to move everything toward balance—toward its Natural Order.
We are constantly bombarded by forces competing for our attention.
Primal Needs:
- Survival resources — food, water, shelter, money, 401k.
- Social acceptance — the desire to belong and be relevant.
- Procreation — the drive to reproduce, find a soulmate, and continue lineage.
- Spiritual fulfillment — the search for meaning, a higher power, and purpose.
Much of our mortal life is spent reacting to these conflicts. We will dig a little deeper into each of these later in the discussion. For now, our cravings and desires are real and stem from one or more of these groups. Needs create conflict, which in turn creates desires to resolve them.
Relationship Connection
This concept seems to apply to all aspects of life, even relationships.
A conflict may begin between two people. Each reacts, often overreacts, and volleys the conflict back. This exchange can continue indefinitely, and sadly, some conflicts never resolve within a lifetime.
Now, consider a familiar scenario. One person pauses, takes a breath, and sincerely says, “I’m so sorry. This was all my fault. Please forgive me.” After a moment, the response is often instinctive and predictable: “No, no—it was me.” The exchange may volley again, but this time toward resolution, often ending in a handshake or a hug as the relationship returns to its Natural Order.
Some people become adept at what might be called Natural Order combat, using its predictability to their advantage. If I say to a stranger, “I must be one of the dumbest people alive,” they will almost certainly rush to my defense. If I say the same thing to someone who knows it’s a trick, they may simply reply, “Agreed.”
The same principle applies in reverse. Claiming to be the smartest person in the room would trigger a quick rebuttal as they point to a mountain of evidence to the contrary. Their argument would not be hard to prove.
Silly Questions—Serious Point
Why does my oatmeal get cold while my milk gets hot? A more mature question might be: why does my pizza get cold while my beer gets hot? The answer to both is Natural Order.
The more serious and specific point is environment matters. Natural Order is the tendency of all things to move toward balance with their environment. When something is out of alignment, the surrounding world quietly—but relentlessly—pulls it back. No effort required.
This principle applies not only to food and drink but also to people. Like the temperature of our food, people do not typically change suddenly; instead, they drift slowly. Whether an environment is corrosive or supportive, people can begin to change, not because they are weak, but because their environment matters.
Natural Order does not consider intent; it responds only to exposure. This would be an excellent topic for future discussions, but for now, I will simply make these points.
Environment matters, especially for children. Children do not yet possess fully formed defenses against their environment. They absorb what surrounds them—attitudes, values, and behaviors—often without even realizing it.
If we genuinely care about our children’s character, we must care about:
- The tone of their schools
- The values modeled in their homes
- The content they consume
- The behavior that is rewarded or normalized around them
Closing Thought
Hot food gets cold. Cold drinks get warm.
Not because they failed, but because they were exposed.
If we want to build strong character—in ourselves, in our communities, and in our children—we must recognize that environment matters.
When we find ourselves asking, “What’s wrong with me?” we might instead consider, “What environment am I sitting in?”
Natural Order always wins.
The only question is whether we choose to work with it or sit still and let it work on us.
Conflict and Natural Order
Conflict—conflict everywhere. As previously mentioned, various forces constantly compete for our attention. These conflicts are real and stem from genuine root causes.
The source of these conflicts might be primal needs, as listed earlier, or they could be chemical, emotional, spiritual, or have a host of other origins. This will make an excellent topic for future discussions, but for now, it is important to recognize that these conflicts are real, even if not directly measurable.
The good news is that most can be resolved without requiring much “magic dust.” For a quick test, consider these examples from your own life experiences:
Disclaimer: These examples do not permanently resolve conflicts; they only seem to temporarily medicate them, allowing us a brief sense of life without conflict.
Recall a truly funny joke or experience—not just “ha-ha” funny, but side-splitting funny. The kind of funny that leaves your eyes watering and your shorts wet. Remember how you felt inside after catching your breath? For a moment, or perhaps a few moments, peace and happiness replaced the cares and conflicts of your world. For that brief period, you found yourself at peace, your Natural Order.
Music has a similar effect on many of us. Others prefer to get lost in a sappy movie with a happy ending. Bedtime stories are like magic dust, not just for children, but also for the parents who read them. How do we describe the feeling we get when witnessing a child drift off to that peaceful, happy place?
These are not random occurrences or fairy tales; they are universal. They represent our Natural Order.
Examples like this play out in front of us every day. Until we understand them, they almost go unnoticed. Once we understand them, the satisfaction they bring becomes much more gratifying.
Unfortunately, prescription or illicit drugs, alcohol, comfort foods, and even social media can also serve as our go-to, temporary masks for conflict. Obviously, these remedies create more conflict while resolving none. Examples of this also play out in front of us every day.
Spiritual Connections
The need for spiritual fulfillment is just as real.
The first connection brings us back to the idea of the Humble Servant. Serving others is not merely an act of kindness; it brings a deep and unmistakable sense of peace and self-worth. This fulfillment is strong evidence, to me, of the Creator’s design.
The second connection is historical. As far back as we can trace, humanity has sought a higher spiritual power. People have worshiped countless forms—nature, idols, the sun itself—in search of protection, meaning, or eternal life.
When people believed strongly enough that their god would protect them, it would bring peace. Rituals, sacrifices, and acts of devotion were methods of restoring balance—of returning to Natural Order.
In those cases, faith was the magic dust, not knowledge.
Now consider this:
When we start to understand that the same actions that fulfill our spiritual needs also contribute to the betterment of the world, then we begin to appreciate the genius of the Creator’s plan: a world continually guided back toward its Natural Order.
This may be the most important point in this discussion.
Serving others fulfills our spiritual needs while improving the world around us—an ingenious design.