I stumbled upon this article, and WHOA did it makes so much sense!! (Read it here)

It's a statement by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee.

“Mukherjee said during a commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania last week. “Every person that I’ve met in this moment of transition wanted to make four offerings,”

The phrases are:

I want to tell you that I love you.

I want to tell you that I forgive you.

Would you tell me that you love me?

Would you give me your forgiveness?

“People who know they’re dying often express some variation of one of those four themes — indicating that they waited until it was late to show their appreciation for others or right their interpersonal wrongs, said Mukherjee, author of the award-winning 2011 nonfiction book “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.”

The article goes on to say:

“Instead, they harbored grudges, lived with unresolved guilt or spent years being too afraid to be vulnerable, Mukherjee explained. The ensuing remorse, stress, poor mental health and even hormonal and immune imbalances can stunt your personal and professional growth, neurobehavioral scientist J. Kim Penberthy wrote in a 2022 University of Virginia blog post.”

Imagine if you did those things now, rather than on your deathbed?

So many scriptures, too numerous to count, tell us to literally do these things. We take them as suggestions, rather than commands. They are literally like having secret codes to unlock life. Not just spiritual life, or being nice to get to heaven. But rather, unlocking your ultimate self and personhood now. A key to “becoming more human”, not in the afterlife, but in the natural life. Both in this world, and the world to come, as it were.

At some point, we've got to stop treating the concepts scripture is trying to give us as optional for our spiritual, mental, and physical health. Yes God gives us a choice, but He also shows us, through thousands of years of history, what's best practice for us. Not only in the scriptures, but also in the church. Some of the wisest saints and leaders of the church have re-emphasized these points.

Love Others

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

1 John 4:7-8 (NIV)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Ask for Forgiveness

Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)

Psalm 51:1-2 (NIV)

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."

Give Someone Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Ask Others to Love You

1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)

"Do everything in love."

Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)

Wisdom from the Saints:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."“Are you not afraid of death, which we shall all face in a little while? How are we to look on the fearsome angels, as they come to take us from the body? How are we to journey on that long and unending road, if we have not obtained the necessities for the journey?” + St. Theodore the Studite, Catechesis 103, On Keeping God’s Commandments and the Just Threat Against Those who Neglect Them

“You must not be greatly troubled about many things, but you should care for the main thing — preparing yourself for death.”+ St. Ambrose of Optina, quoted from Living Without Hypocrisy: Spiritual Counsels of the Holy Elders of Optina

“Our frail nature would not be strong enough if God’s justice were to rise up to take vengeance. Therefore, He employs mercy, since at all times we are held by debt. But do not sin, O man, expecting that you will repent; and do not succumb [to sin] being confident of forgiveness! Remember that death will not delay. Do not craftily seek means to draw nigh the pleasure of sin with a knavish mind! God is not mocked [Gal. 6:7]. His knowledge precedes your thoughts. Affliction will overtake you suddenly, and when you cry out, He will not answer you.” + St. Isaac the Syrian, The Ascetical Homilies, Homily 64

“A man obtains the fear of God if he has the remembrance of his unavoidable death and of the eternal torments that await sinners; If he tests himself every evening as to how he has spent the day, and every morning as to how he has spent the night, and if he is not sharp in his relations with others.” + St. Dorotheos, Soul-Profiting Teachings, 4

“My brethren, do all that is in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall, but, if you do fall, get up again at once, and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times, because of the withdrawal of God’s grace, rise up again at each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death. For it is written: ‘If a righteous man falls seven times,’ that is, repeatedly throughout his life, ‘seven times shall he rise again’ [Proverbs 24:16].” + St. John of Karpathos, From the collection of letters to monks in India

Becoming Truly Human

In Christianity, the concept of "becoming truly human" involves fulfilling the potential for which humans were created, which is to be in communion with God and to reflect His image and likeness. This process is known as theosis or deification. Here are the key aspects of this concept:

1. Image and Likeness of God: Humans are created in the image of God, meaning they have the capacity for relationship with Him and the potential to grow into His likeness, which involves moral and spiritual perfection.

2. Union with God: Becoming truly human means achieving union with God, which is the ultimate purpose of human life. This union is accomplished through a life of faith, prayer, and participation in the sacraments.

3. Transformation and Healing: The process involves the healing and transformation of the whole person—body, soul, and spirit. This is a journey of repentance, purification from sin, and growth in virtue and holiness.

4. Participation in Divine Life: Theosis is seen as a participatory process where humans share in God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). This doesn't mean becoming God in essence but being filled with His divine energies.

5. Community and Love: Becoming truly human also involves loving and serving others, reflecting the communal nature of the Trinity. It is through relationships and self-giving love that one grows in likeness to God.

6. Example of Christ: Jesus Christ is the perfect example of what it means to be truly human. By following His teachings and example, believers can grow into their true humanity.