THE ORIGIN - WHERE AM I FROM?

The Question of Origin

When people ask, “Where are you from?” , most of us answer with a place. We may mention a country, a state, a tribe, a family name, a school, or the environment that raised us. Allof these shape parts of our heritage. They affect how we speak, what feels familiar to us, what we value, what we fear, and even how we begin to see ourselves. However, the place that raised you can only provide so little to no information about your true identity and where it began. This is why when many of us came of age to making life decisions, we had to go on a discovery search to find who we are. If we already knew the precise location physically, we won't need to take time-offs scouting for who we are or where we came for. In searching for the right place with the right answer, many have stumbled on very strange philosophies that sound so clear in describing their identity, but these philosophies have resulted in more harm than ever because what was offered was only a packaged lie There is a difference between what shaped you and what created the truth of you. Your background may explain some of your experiences. Your family may have introduced you to the world. Your culture may give you language, customs, and belonging. So then, if all of these truly answered the question of where we came from, what happens to those who didn't have a known family around them when growing up, or those who unwillingly or willingly had to flee their culural homes, are they all going to have fractured identities? So when we ask, “Where am I from?” , we are not only asking about location. We are asking about origin . Origin simply means the beginning point of a thing. It is where something truly comes from. And this matters because what you believe you came from will affect what you believe you are. So when we ask, “Where am I from?” , we are not only asking about location. We are asking about origin . Origin simply means the beginning point of a thing. It is where something truly comes from. And this matters because what you believe you came from will affect what you believe you are.

Influence Differs From Origin

It is easy to mistake influence for origin. If something has affected us deeply, we may begin to believe it defines us completely. If people respond to our appearance, we may begin to think that is where our value comes from. If success gives us attention, we may begin to feel like achievement is what makes us someone. If culture, trends, or public opinion keep rewarding certain versions of life, we may start to believe those things are the truest measure of identity. In the end, these things are points of influence. We must remember that just because influence is powerful and can steer multitudes in any direction, it can do so without offering anything truly substantial. This is why we have to treat this carefully. If we only ask what is popular, we will follow the crowd. If we only ask what people respond to, we will live for reactions. If we only ask what feels true in the moment, identity may rise and fall with emotion. But if we ask where the whole person comes from, we have to look beyond the surface. A human being is not only a body to be seen, dressed, desired, or displayed. There is also the soul which harbours the mind, emotions, will, heart, memory, and conscience. Lastly,there is the spirit, the deepest part of man that reaches for meaning, truth, love, responsibility, purpose, and something higher than what the physical world alone can explain.

Past Beliefs

Over past centuries many scholars have made explorations into the true and scientific origin of man. From different perspectives and academia resources, they still ask, what explains the whole person? If someone says man came from matter, stars, nature, biology, or a collision of forces, then the next question is not just, Can that explain the physical body? The question is, Can that explain all of man? Can it explain the spirit, the conscience, the hunger for purpose, the sense of responsibility, the ache for truth, and the feeling that human life carries value beyond usefulness? Knowing what something is made of is not the same as knowing why it exists. You can know the materials that make up a product, but without the manual, you could only make guesses on how to operate it and be completely ignorant of the manufacturer's intent. In the same way, we can explain parts of man and still not fully answer the origin and purpose of man. That is why the question of origin cannot stop at matter, background, or experience. It has to ask what kind of beginning can explain the whole human being — body, soul, and spirit.

Reflection

In the previous post, we saw that biblically, before mankind was given work, responsibility, influence, or dominion, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” To be made in God’s image means the deepest part of man was made to live from God as an environment, not out of Him or away from Him. Certainly not as a prison either, but as the proper environment for life. A fish needs water. A tree needs soil. The body needs air. We don't interpret these as cages because we know that they are the conditions that make life possible. In the same way, if the spirit of man comes from God, then the spirit of man cannot be fully understood while disconnected from God. This is where the understanding of where we are from brings clarity to what we call our identity. The world around us has the ability to shape parts of our story but it did not breathe the spirit into you and I. Parents name us, but they do not have the capacity to create or change the deepest truth of you and I. Experiences may affect how we perceive ourselves sometimes, but it does not have the authority to become the beginning or the end. So when we ask, “Where am I from?” we are not only asking where we were born or raised. We are asking: Where did the truth of me begin? Once an understanding of your true origin becomes clearer, identity becomes harder to be twisted into a miconception. You will begin to separate what influences you from what defines you, and intentionally choose better sources of influence that creates a better perception of who you are. Drafted by Princess Faith Odo, refined with AI.

Read next

• The Origin - Why am I here?
• The Origin - Who Am I?
• The Root of Identity