terra incognita: unknown territory : an unexplored country or field of knowledge
~ Miriam Webster Dictionary
Terra incognita, according to Wikipedia "is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or documented." A literal English translation would be "unknown earth."
With all of this in mind I suggest that during this Lenten season of contemplating human mortality and immortality we borrow the phrase as a description of human life.
Each of our bodies is composed of minerals and liquid, ie dirt and water. One look at our planet from the distances of space quickly confirms that Earth is also comprised of masses of land and oceans, a complex system of dirt and water.
In turn the complex systems which are our bodies not only come from the earth but are nourished by the plants from its soil and water from its rivers, lakes, and seas. And as I recently heard a physician say in an interview, "...the most complex structure on the human planet, [is] the threepounds of human brain."
We truly are Earth in Disguise - Dust to Dust - Terra Incognita!
Each of our lives is a vista of unknown territory waiting to be explored.
Somehow this post reminded me that at an earlier time in my life, I acted as if I wanted each human being I encountered to be something close to my ideal person. Now, I think that would be really boring and I try to take pleasure in understanding/decoding each individual in their uniqueness and in so doing building rapport with them (much easier than if you are trying to hold them to some unchanging ideal). And with that rapport, interesting and exciting things become possible that are impossible without it. One could say that I am trying to see the presence of God in each person and how that is manifested uniquely. Like snowflakes, those combinations of dirt and water are never the same.
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