The cell connection

Picture an outline of a human body made up of cells. The brain cell says, "I am better than the colon cells because I run the body." The heart cell responds, "I beat to keep the blood flowing so all cells can live." The lung cell claims, "I am the one who brings in oxygen." The colon says, "I am the one who supplies the nutrients—without me, you’re all dead." The liver adds, "I am crucial; without me, you would all perish." The skin remarks, "If I weren’t here, you’d all die from infections." Then, the arm or the leg might say, "I don’t like living in this chaos; I don’t belong here."

The idea is that the body consists of all kinds of cells and isn’t complete unless it works as a whole. The same applies to humanity—we are the cells of humanity, or I would even go as far as to say, of God. Just as the body relies on the harmonious functioning of all its cells, God and humanity cannot function without human beings.

If one particular group of cells claims to be better because of its job, it’s absurd because the job is only possible through the functioning of the body as a whole. Therefore, every cell is important, regardless of its kind.

If any individual claims to be better than others because they belong to a certain nation, race, or religion, it is just as ridiculous. The day a human being is born, they belong to humanity, not to any nation, race, or religion—they are simply a human child. Now, how do you pass the test to become a true human being? What allows you to graduate from the class of chimps and baboons? Why don’t we focus more on how to become human beings? When will we be able to overcome our darker side?

The number one qualification to be a human being is one’s personal character, not their clan, race, nation, or religion. The jewels of compassion, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love are what make a person truly human. Otherwise, regardless of the group you belong to, you have the potential to be worse than the worst because you possess both intelligence and, in today’s world, weapons of mass destruction.

Imagine if the arm or leg claimed to be too good to be part of the body, yet all the nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood provided to them comes from the body. If your race, nation, or religion has led you to believe that you are superior, they are not only racist, but they are also wrong, leading humanity—and even God—toward destruction. This is no laughing matter when nuclear weapons exist, and emotionally charged individuals have their fingers on the triggers. In a nuclear disaster, we’re all in it together—no brain cell, heart, liver, lung, arm, or leg can survive without the body.

Ironically, our holy books predict a day of destruction. The question is: Are we going to create or avoid that scenario? Personally, I am an optimist and believe that we will evolve beyond our religions and nationalism to unite as humanity as a whole. It may not happen in my lifetime, but if there are people working against global warming and saving other species from extinction, we should have the common sense to overcome our emotionally dark, animalistic side as well.