- Series:History, Humans, Transcript English
Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
What was man like as originally created – before sin started taking its toll on his mind, body and the world in which he lives?
Are there hints around us of the original capabilities of the human brain? Keep in mind that each of us has different strengths and weaknesses. The so-called savant has a low IQ, yet is capable of incredible mental feats.
“K,” at the age of 28, has a mental age of 11 and a vocabulary of only 58 words. But he could remember the population of every U.S. city of more than 5,000 people, every county seat in the nation, and the names, locations and number of rooms in over 2,000 hotels.
Leslie Lemke is a musical genius. He can play any music after hearing it only once. He once played every note of a 45-minute piece perfectly after hearing it for the first time! We might be reminded that at 14 the young Mozart was taken by his father to hear the famous Miserere. He memorized it note for note, wrote it down and a few days later played it at a concert, causing a sensation. But Mozart was no savant.
God created man in His own image and, whether genius or savant, these are living evidence of man’s continuing regression from a once-noble origin.
Prayer:
Dear Father, I confess that I have not made full use of the abilities You have given me; and I cannot even understand the abilities I might have had if we had not sinned. I pray, give me wholeness of spirit through Christ now and perfect wholeness on the resurrection. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Notes:
Photo: Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849 – 1908) was an African American autistic savant and musical prodigy on the piano. He had numerous original compositions published and had a lengthy and largely successful performing career throughout the United States. During the 19th century, he was one of the most well-known American performing pianists.
